LIBRARY 

OF   THK 

University  of  California. 


GIF'lv  OF» 


U/WW^T" 


^/icce^siou    9.9.70.7        Cla^s    -HI 


^ 


i 


CHARLES   SEALSFIELD 

(CARL  POSTL), 


MATERIALS   FOR    A    BIOGRAPHY  ;    A    STUDY    OF    HIS   STYLE  ;    HIS 
INFLUENCE    UPON    AMERICAN    LITERATURE. 


A   DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED  TO  THE  BOARD  OF  UNIVERSITY  STUDIES  OF  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS 
UNIVERSITY  FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF  DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


•BY 


ALBERT  B.   FAUST. 


1892. 


/  ;^^  OP 


%SIVEi^.^J.A  X 


'dtlFO^^ 


BALTIMORE  : 

PRESS-  OF  THE  FRIEDENWALD  CO. 


CHARLES   SEALSFIELD 

(CARL  POSTL), 


MATERIALS   FOR    A    BIOGRAPHY  ;    A    STUDY    OF    HIS   STYLE ;    HIS 
INFLUENCE    UPON    AMERICAN    LITERATURE. 


A   DISSERTATION 

PRESENTED  TO  THE  BOARD  OF  UNIVERSITY  STUDIES  OF  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS 
UNIVERSITY  FOR  THE  DEGREE  OF   DOCTOR  OF  PHILOSOPHY 


BY 


^ 


ALBERT  B.^FAUST. 


1892. 


BALTIMORE  : 

PRESS  OF  THE  FRIEDENWALD  CO. 


PREFACE, 


The  name  of  Charles  Sealsfield  is  now  rapidly  disappearing 
from  even  the  best  books  on  literature.  Thirty  years  ago  the 
author  was  still  much  read  by  the  German  people,  to  whom  he 
dedicated  his  life  work.  Though  he  wrote  in  German,  transla- 
tions into  English  were  frequent,  and  their  influence  upon 
American  literature  has  been  significant,  though  unrecognized. 
To  trace  the  historical  value  of  Sealsfield's  work,  to  attempt  an 
estimate  of  the  greatest  genius  that  has  ever  described  typically 
American  scenes  and  characters  and  inspired  them  with  romance 
— a  discussion  of*  Sealsfield,  the  Man  and  his  Work ' — is  a  sub- 
ject too  large  for  the  limitations  of  a  thesis,  and  must  be  set  aside 
for  a  future  effort.  Sealsfield's  merit  is  not  recognized  in 
America  principally  because  his  works  are  unfamiliar  and  almost 
inaccessible ;  the  few  existing  translations  are  very  poor  repre- 
sentations of  their  originals.  This  situation  is  a  serious  loss  to 
American  literature. 

The  limits  of  this  dissertation  are  necessarily  restricted ;  the 
object  is  to  renew,  if  possible,  the  acquaintance  with  the  scope 
and  charm  of  the  subject  of  '  Charles  Sealsfield,  der  grosse  Un- 
bekannte,'  and  to  dwell  upon  matters  of  special  importance  and 
interest  to  American  readers.  The  material  has  been  divided 
into  three  parts,  as  follows  :  Chapter  I,  "  A  Biographical  Sketch 
of  the  Author,"  pp.  5-21;  Chapter  II,  "The  Style  of  Charles 
Sealsfield,"  pp.  22-42 ;  Chapter  III,  "  His  Influence  upon  Ameri- 
can Literature,"  pp.  43-49.  For  a  subject  so  obscure,  a  list  of 
sources  for  investigation  becomes  the  more  valuable.  A  "  Biblio- 
graphy "  (pp.  50-53)  has  therefore  been  appended,  which  aims  at 
approximate  completeness. 

A.  B.  F. 

Baltimore,  May,  1892. 


99707 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH. 

The  chief  sources  for  a  biography  of  Charles  Sealsfield  are  the 
following : 

1.  A.  Hartmann. 

Gartenlaube,  1864,  p.  53  :  "  Der  Ueutsch-Amerikanisclie  Romantiker." 
Gart.,  1865,  p.  94  :  "  Ein  aufgeklaertes  Literaturgeheimniss."  Hartmann,  the 
author  of  "  Kiltabend-geschichten,"  "Hans  Ritter  von  Slaal,"  possessed  a 
large  estate  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sealsfield's  home,  "  Unter  den  Tannen  "; 
he  was  one  of  the  very  few  intimate  associates  of  the  author  in  his  old  age. 

2.  Kertbeny. 

"  Silhouetten  und  Reliquien,"  1863,  Prag  :  "  Besuche  bei  Sealsfield;  Erin- 
nerungen  an  Sealsfield."  Bruessel  u.  Leipzig,  1864.  A  Hungarian  writer, 
who  visited  Sealsfield  at  his  home,  "  Unter  den  Tannen,"  and  reported  his 
conversations  with  the  aged  author  in  the  manner  of  Eckermann. 

3.  Elise  Meyer. 

Said  to  have  written  the  article  in  Daheim,  1865,  p.  295,  containing  letters 
of  Sealsfield  to  her.  A  young  girl,  whose  literary  assistance  and  companion- 
ship brightened  Sealsfield's  old  age.     These  letters  are  very  valuable. 

4.  Alfred  Meissner. 

"  Die  Grabesschuld,"  nachgelassene  Erzaehlung  von  Charles  Sealsfield,  pre- 
ceded by  a  biographical  sketch  of  93  pages  ;  an  interview  with  Sealsfield's 
housekeeper.     Leipzig,  1873. 

5.  Hamburger. 

"  Sealsfield-Postl."  Wien,i879.  Apparently  a  journalist ;  has  had  access  to 
the  records  of  the  monastery  from  which  Carl  Postl  fled,  throwing  light  on  the 
cause  for  his  flight.  Contains  also:  (i)  A  letter  to  H.  Brockhaus,  an  auto- 
biographical sketch  ;  (2)  Thirteen  letters  to  Freih.  J.  F.  v.  Cotta ;  (3)  Fifteen 
letters  to  H.  Erhard,  J.  B.  Metzler. 

The  biography  of  Charles  Sealsfield  has  never  been  written.  The 
sketches  named  above  are  personal  reminiscences  and  reports  for 
journals;  a  sufficient  number  of  Sealsfield's  letters  have  not  yet 
been  discovered  to  form  a  separate  publication.  What  might  be 
called  the  principal  source  for  a  biography,  Sealsfield's  works,  has 
been  entirely  neglected.  It  is  my  intention  to  attempt  a  complete 
biography  of  Sealsfield,  on  the  basis  of  the  material  here  offered 


and  of  such  as  is  not  j-et  ready  for  presentation.  The  present 
attempt  does  not  venture  beyond  the  limits  of  a  brief  sketch, 
which  may,  however,  claim  for  itself  a  greater  degree  of  correctness 
than  any  of  its  predecessors. 

The  life  of  Charles  Sealsfield  may  be  divided  into  four  periods: 
i)  1793-1823,  from  his  birth  to  his  flight  from  the  monastery; 

2)  1823-1832,  his  transatlantic  travels  and  residence  in  America; 

3)  1832-1848,  the  period  of  his  greatest  literars'  activity;  4)  1848- 
1864,  decline  in  popularity,  seclusion  and  old  age. 

I.   From  His  Birth  to   His  Flight  from  the  Monastery, 

1793-1823. 

The  village  of  Poppitz  Isl  situated  in  the  center  of  a  wine-growing 
district  near  Znaim,  in  Moravia,  Austria.  In  this  place,  opposite 
the  parish  church  belonging  to  the  order  of  the  Knights  of  the 
Cross,  there  is  a  tile-roof  farm-house,  No.  56,  that  bears  a  memorial 
tablet  of  iron  with  the  following  inscription  in  gold  letters : 


dem  Dichter 

Charles  Sealsfield 

(Carl  Postl) 

Buerger  von  Nordamerika 

geboren  am  3.  Maerz,  1793. 

gestorben  am  26.  Mai,  1864, 

In  this  house  Carl  Postl,  son  of  Anton  and  Jtiliane  Rabel  Postl, 
was  born.  His  father  was  mayor  and  justice  of  the  town  (Orts- 
richter  und  Gemeindevorstand).  Of  proud,  aristocratic  tempera- 
ment, he  preferred  being  feared  to  being  loved,  as  well  at  home  as 
abroad.  Carl,  the  eldest  child  among  five  brothers  and  two  sisters, 
was  sent  to  the  "  Gymnasium  Znaimensis  Societatis  Jesu,"  where 
he  absolved  five  courses,  1802—1807.  In  1805  the  school  at  Znaim 
was  closed  for  two  months,  and  it  was  probably  during  this  inter- 
val that  he  witnessed  the  entrance  of  Napoleon,  of  the  Garde 
du  Corps  and  Chasseurs  into  Znaim.  Such  fiequent  stirring 
scenes  during  the  Napoleonic  wars  may  have  early  aroused  a  love 
for  stirring  epochs  of  history.  The  vacations  that  the  boy  spent  at 
home  probably  brought  him  little  pleasure,  owing  to  the  tyrannical 


sway  of  the  father  and  an  inherited  obstinacy  in  the  son.  He  is 
said  to  have  often  sought  consolation  in  the  soHtude  of  nature. 
The  frequent  sensational  conflicts  with  his  father,  which  some 
newspapers  have  taken  pains  to  describe  in  detail,  may  be  looked 
upon  as  entirely  untrustworthy,  on  the  testimony  of  some  of  the 
surviving  members  of  the  Postl  family.  The  numerous  mythical 
accounts  that  have  in  this  way  clustered  about  the  name  of  Seals- 
field-Postl,  though  not  lacking  in  interest,  must  be  omitted  in  this 
sketch. 

The  "  liber  calculorum  "  of  the  gymnasium  informs  us  that  Carl 
Postl  was  a  boy  of  ordinary  ability,  obstinate  and  quarrelsome  in 
his  dealings  with  his  companions  at  school.  In  1808  he  entered 
the  ''  Kreuzherrenstift "  as  "  convent  student,"  and  there  completed 
the  philosophical  course  of  studies.  He  must  have  eagerly  im- 
bibed the  new  principles  to  which  he  refers  in  'Austria  As  It  Is,' 
page  227,  note  23:  "•  By  an  imperial  decree  dated  1808,  the  chair  of 
the  Religious  Philosophy  was  erected,  and  attached  to  the  phil- 
osophical studies.  The  most  erudite  men  were  selected  to  fill  this 
chair.  Its  effects  were  astonishing.  An  intellectual  progress  was 
felt  throughout,  far  above  what  can  be  imagined.  The  Austrian 
academical  youth  became,  through  these  lectures,  in  fact  Protest- 
ants in  mind,  though  professors  of  Catholicism.  I  will,  said  his 
Majesty,  in  a  cabinet  writing  to  his  Minister  of  the  Interior,  Count 
Sarau,  that  my  youth  shall  believe  and  not  dispute  the  'Articles  of 
Faith.'  Accordingly,  every  one  had  to  regulate  himself.  Those 
who  did  not  comply  immediately  with  the  new  command  were 
dismissed  from  their  chairs  or  imprisoned.  The  students  who 
revolted  were  sent  to  the  Turkish  frontiers  as  private  soldiers,"  etc. 

This  new  school  of  philosophy  was  probably  inaugurated  about 
1809,  when  Postl  studied  as  convent-student.  We  can  now  better 
understand  his  unwillingness  to  take  orders  in  1813,  under  the 
tyranny  of  Metternich's  system.  Being  undecided  what  profession 
to  choose,  he  sought  counsel  of  his  mother,  who  replied  very 
l)itteny :  "•  Muesst'  ich  glauben,  dass  du  jetzt  noch  zweifelst,  was  aus 
dir  werden  soil,  so  wuerde  mich  jeder  Kreuzer  reuen,  den  wir  an 
dich  wandten  und  jede  Entbehrung,  welche  wir  uns  auferlegten, 
deine  Studien  moeglich  zu  machen."  "  Nun,  Ihr  Wille  geschehe," 
her  son  replied,  however  much  it  grieved  him.  It  was  the  mother's 
ambition  to  see  her  son  wear  the  black  '  talar,'  adorned  with  the 
red  silk  cross  on  his  breast,  the  insignia  of  the  Kreuzherren  von 
Poelten]>erg.     This  order,  like  that  of  the  Templars  and  Knights 


8 

of  St.  John,  had  been  founded  for  the  protection  of  pilgrims  to  the 
Holy  Land,  but  had  now  become  simply  a  chapter  of  monks, 
sustained  by  large  endowments.  Accordingly,  he  entered  the  Order 
as  a  novice  in  1813.  He  was  soon  ordained  priest,  and  in  1815 
became  adjunct  secretary.  In  181 6,  on  account  of  his  knowledge 
of  modern  languages  and  his  qualifications  to  look  after  the 
business  interests  of  the  Brotherhood,  he  was  appointed  secretary- 
of  the  Order,  which  position  he  held  until  his  flight  in  1823. 

The  life  at  the  monastery  was  far  removed  from  asceticism;  it 
was  comfortable,  even  luxurious  in  a  time  of  trouble.  The  causes 
for  his  dissatisfaction  must  have  lain  deeper  than  has  generally 
been  supposed.  Nothing  short  of  visits  to  foreign  countries  could 
force  him  to  realize  the  bondage  in  which  he  lived.  In  'Austria 
As  It  Is'  the  author  remarks:  "Since  the  fourteen  years  I  last 
saw  their  country  [France]  and  capital  [Paris],"  etc.  The  book 
was  written  in  1828,  and  fourteen  years  back  would  bring  us  to 
1 814,  the  year  in  which  the  Allies  entered  Paris.  It  would  not  be 
far-fetched  to  imagine  Postl  sent  by  the  Order  on  hospital  service 
in  the  allied  army.  His  knowledge  of  the  rudiments  of  medicine 
is  apparent  from  his  works;  the  descriptions  of  fever-dreams,  of 
the  slow  stages  by  which  a  man  is  rescued  from  starvation,  point 
in  the  same  direction.  Again,  IMorton  7,  introd.:  "  Ich  habe 
England  zu  diesen  verschiedenen  Zeiten  (vor  Walter  Scott)  be- 
sucht,  und  obwohl  damals  noch  sehr  jung,  steht  mir  doch  John 
Bull  vom  Jahre  1816  und  18 17  noch  lebhaft  vor  Augen."  The 
first  passage  has  never  been  noticed,  the  second  only  by  Meissner, 
who  discredits  it.  The  author,  he  says,  wishes  to  lead  us  astray. 
Such  a  theory  must  be  at  once  rejected  for  Sealsfield.  Assuming 
such  successive  periods  of  travel  in  foreign  countries,  authorized 
by  his  Order,  it  is  natviral  to  suppose  that  upon  his  return  Postl, 
now  arrived  at  manhood,  looked  upon  his  surroundings  in  a  new 
light.  His  eyes  were  opened  to  the  abuses  at  home  and  his  discon- 
tent grew  greater  from  year  to  year.  '  Austria  As  It  Is,'  which  may 
be  looked  upon  as  the  confession  of  these  years,  gives  us  many 
instances  of  his  feelings  of  bitterness  against  Austrian  espionage 
and  oppression.  He  thus  characterizes  the  University  of  Prague, 
p.  75 :  "  The  only  scientific  branch  allowed  a  free  range  is  medi- 
cine; the  others  in  1822  received  a  warning  which  will  cut  off  all 
redundant  study  during  the  Emperor's  life.  Of  the  members  of 
this  university,  the  Professor  of  Philosophy,  Bolpano,  was  univers- 
ally admitted  to  be  one  of  the  ver}'^  first.     Several  works  which  he 


published  showed  him  to  be  a  very  hberal  and  eminent  thinker. 
This  gentleman  was  suddenly  arrested,  his  writings  seized,  himself 
placed  before  an  ecclesiastical  tribunal,  at  the  head  of  which  was 
an  archbishop,  to  answer  the  charge  of  heterodoxy.  The  arch- 
bishop succeeded  in  clearing  him  of  this  charge,  but  all  his 
endeavors,  together  with  those  of  the  nobility,  to  obtain  his  re- 
admission  to  the  philosophic  chair  were  unsuccessful.  'Let  me 
alone,'  said  the  Emperor,  when  the  P — ss  L — y  interceded  in  his 
behalf.     '  He  has  dangerous,  extravagant  principles.'  " 

P.  'jy.  The  System  of  Studies  at  the  University  of  Prague: 
''The  youth,  during  the  time  of  his  studies,  is  watched  with  the 
closest  attention.  His  professors  are  ex-ofificio  spies.  Six  times 
in  a  year  he  has  to  confess  himself  to  his  teachers  of  religion!  His 
predilections,  inclinations,  his  good  and  bad  qualities,  every  move- 
ment is  observed  and  registered  in  their  catalogues,  one  of  which 
is  sent  to  Vienna,  the  other  to  the  government,  the  third  deposited 
in  the  school  archives.  This  observation  increases  as  the  youth 
advances  into  the  higher  classes,  and  a  strict  vigilance  is  paid  to 
his  reading;  trials  are  made  with  classic  authors,  his  opinion  is 
elicited  about  characters  such  as  Brutus,  Cato,  and  the  account 
thereof  faithfully  inserted.  If  the  youth  applies  to  law,  the  scrutiny 
is  still  more  vigorous,  and  his  principles  about  the  natural  rights 
of  man  and  the  government  are  extorted  under  a  thousand  shapes 
and  pretenses.  The  youth  having  finished  his  academical  course, 
whether  he  be  a  lawyer  or  a  divine,  is  entirely  in  the  hands  of  the 
government.  His  past  life  and  conduct  serve  his  superiors  as  a 
guide.  Has  he  given  the  least  cause  of  suspicion,  shown  the  least 
penchant  towards  liberal  ideas,  then  he  may  be  sure  that  the 
higher  his  talents,  the  less  his  capacity  to  serve  the  Emperor,  or 
to  obtain  a  license  as  an  attorney.  Should  he  apply  to  the  govern- 
ment for  a  non-commissioned  office,  his  superiors  become  again 
his  watchmen.  An  unguarded  word  is  sufHcient  not  only  to  pre- 
clude his  advancement,  but  to  deprive  him  even  of  his  station." 

CarJ_  PostFs  relations  to  his  brethren  of  the  Order  were  similar 
to  those  witH~his  school-companions  of  the  past, — there  was 
mutual  dislike.  In  addition  to  this,  he  was  much  envied  because 
of  the  rapid  advancement  that  his  superior  talents  brought  him, 
and  because  of  the  intimacy  and  patronage  of  many  noble  Austrian 
families  in  Prague  and  Vienna.  Through  his  own  conduct  he  like- 
wise estranged  Grossmeister  Koehler,  who  had  appointed  Post! 
secretary  of  the  Order.     In  the  official  report  of  the  flight  of  Carl 


lO 

Postl,  June  9th,  1823,  Koehler  says:  "Die  Ursache  dieses  aerger- 
lichen  Schrittes  kann  nur  in  der  Unzufriedenheit  mit  dem  geistli- 
chen  oder  Ordensstande  liegen,  auch  soil  er  sich  darueber  aus- 
waertig  oefter  und  deutlich  ausgesprochen  haben,  im  Ordens- 
hause  selbst  vor  Gefertigtem  und  alien  Conventsmitgliedern  hat 
er  diese  Unzufriedenheit  nie,  auch  nicht  durch  ein  einziges  Wort 
geaeussert.  Uebrigens  muss  der  Gefertigte  der  Wahrheit  gemaess 
beifuegen,  dass  er  seit  beinahe  zwei  Jahren  mit  diesem  Ordens- 
gliede  unzufrieden  zu  sein  gerechte  Ursache  hatte,  ihm  sein 
traeges  Besorgen  der  Ordensgeschaefte,  seine  Launigkeit  und 
Kaelte  in  geistlichen  Funczionen,  sein  keckes  Eindringen  in 
hoehere  Familienkreise,  sein  stolzes  Benehmen  gegen  die  Brueder, 
sein  anmassendes  Urtheil  ueber  private  und  oeffentliche  Angele- 
genheiten  wiederholt  und  streng  verwiesen  und  Letzteres  im 
Monate  Februar  mit  dem  Beisatze  gethan  habe,  einem  anderen 
Ordensbruder  die  Secretariatsgeschaefte  anvertrauen  zu  muessen, 
falls  in  seinem  Betragen  keine  wesentliche  Aenderung  erfolgen 
sollte." 

On  account  of  illness,  Postl,  about  the  middle  of  April,  1823, 
obtained  leave  of  absence  for  a  few  weeks  to  use  the  healing 
waters  of  Carlsbad.  He  was  accompanied  by  one  of  the  brethren, 
Kirschbaum.  The  story  runs  that  on  the  evening  before  his 
departure  he  visited  his  brother  Joseph,  who  studied  law  at 
Prague,  and  in  a  high  state  of  excitement  described  to  him  the 
inner  struggles  which  he  had  endured.  He  declared  that  he  had 
long  ago  broken  with  the  dogmas  of  the  Catholic  Church;  that 
he  loved  a  lady  of  noble  birth  in  Vienna  and  that  his  love  was 
returned;  that  he  had  definitely  resolved  to  leave  the  religious 
Order,  and  in  conclusion  he  said :  "  If  you  wish  to  bid  me  adieu, 
come  to  the  monastery  to-morrow  morning  at  eight;  there  I  shall 
take  a  carriage  to  Carlsbad  with  Kirschbaum.  What  I  shall  then 
do  I  do  not  know,  but  I  will  never  return  to  the  cloister."  Joseph 
Postl  the  next  morning  found  everything  as  predicted ;  the  parting 
was  a  sad  one  and  proved  to  be  the  only  farewell  Carl  Postl  gave 
to  any  of  his  relatives. 

On  the  ninth  of  ]\Iay  Postl  mentioned  to  his  friend  Kirschbaum 
that  he  had  received  an  appointment  as  Court  secretary  in  spiritual 
affairs  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Alinister  of  the  Interior, 
Graf  von  Sarau;  that  he  was  to  be  presented  to  his  Majesty  on 
the  first  of  June  and  then  to  take  the  oath  of  office.  His  leave  of 
absence  had  already  been  prolonged,  and  now  Postl  for  a  second 


II 

time  applied  to  Grossmeister  Koehler  for  an  additional  furlough. 
He  finally  made  known  to  him  his  chances  in  Vienna  and  asked 
for  the  use  of  the  '  Ordenskutsche  '  to  convey  him  tiiither.  Neither 
of  these  petitions  seems  to  have  been  granted ;  if  they  were,  the  an- 
nouncement came  too  late.  After  considerable  delay  Postl  at  last 
resolved  to  make  the  journey  to  Vienna  on  his  own  responsibility, 
in  spite  of  orders  to  the  contrary. 

In  Vienna  he  visited  a  family,  Gruenwald,  and  met  the  young 
lady  of  noble  birth,  Sidonia  von  Boehm.  Graf  von  Sarau,  to 
whom  Carl  Postl  had  been  introduced  by  his  patron,  Graf 
Laszansky  of  Prague,  had,  however,  by  this  time  heard  of  Postl's 
disobedience  and  gave  him  a  cold  reception.  He  was  told  that  the 
position  was  no  longer  vacant,  that  he  had  better  return  to  his 
monastery  and  await  the  next  opportunity,  when  he  should  surely 
be  remembered.  But  a  return  was  now  only  to  be  bought  by 
penance  and  degradation,  and  to  go  back  under  these  conditions 
was  impossible  for  Postl's  proud  spirit.  Flight  was  now  the  only 
refuge,  and  as  the  name  of  America  was  at  that  time  synonymous 
with  Liberty,  he  chose  America  for  his  journey's  end. 

A  banker  of  Prague,  who  was  one  of  a  whist  party  to  which 
Postl  also  had  belonged,  stated  when  asked,  that  Carl  Postl  had  in 
his  possession  means  sufficient  to  travel  comfortably  for  a  year  or 
more.  Even  if  this  were  untrue,  his  numerous  patrons  would 
have  supplied  him  with  the  necessary  funds.  The  question  of 
Postl's  unlooked-for  resources  led  certain  journals  to  scandalous 
charges,  to  the  effect  that  Postl  had  robbed  the  treasury  of  the 
Knights  of  the  Cross,  or  that  he  had  embezzled  an  inheritance  of 
80,000  fl.  which  he  was  ordered  to  transfer, — all  these  have  been 
successfully  disproved.  After  some  weeks  had  passed,  Gross- 
meister Koehler  reported  the  flight  of  the  monk  to  the  Austrian 
police,  who  instituted  an  ineffectual  search.  Traces  of  him  were 
found  as  far  as  Switzerland.  Thence  he  most  probably  journeyed 
through  France,  taking  passage  at  Havre  for  the  United  States. 

I.  Sealsfield  =  Postl. 

When  Sealsfield  appeared  in  Germany  as  a  great  author,  his 
parentage  and  early  life  were  entirely  unknown,  and  his  own 
silence  on  this  subject  discouraged  all  efforts  to  clear  up  the 
myster)'.  It  was  only  through  the  publication  of  his  will  after  his 
death  in  1864  that  a  clue  was  found.     The  bulk  of  his  estate. 


12 

worth  upwards  of  $50,000,  he  willed  to  the  seven  children  of  Anton 
and  Juliane  Postl,  "who  between  1810— 1820  and  later  possessed 
considerable  landed  estates  about  Poppitz,  Moravia;  Anton  Postl 
being  mayor  and  justice  of  the  town."  He  makes  a  further  pro- 
vision, "  that  if  any  of  the  five  sons  and  tAvo  daughters  should  be 
deceased,  '  oder  sonst  abhanden  gekommen  sind '  (by  the  missing 
member  he  means  himself),  then  his  legacy  should  be  equally 
divided  among  the  survivors."  The  Postl  family  at  once 
recognized  in  this  strange  benefactor  their  lost  brother;  the  early 
life  of  Carl  Postl  became  from  this  time  on  a  subject  of  universal 
interest. 

Certain  eccentricities  of  the  author's  old  age  were  at  once  ex- 
plained through  this  identification:  his  celibacy,  the  refusal  to 
allow  his  portrait  to  be  circulated,  his  stealing  away  from  Catholic 
priests,  his  uneasiness  on  hearing  the  cloister-bells  about  Solo- 
thurn. 

The  date  of  the  birth  of  Carl  Postl  corresponded  precisely  with 
the  date  on  Sealsfield's  tombstone.     Again,  he  ordered  a  curious 

monogram  to  be  cut  into  the  stone,  viz. :      /"    ( =  C.  S.  and  also 

C.  P.)  A  still  more  convincing  proof  was  the  great  family  resem- 
blance between  the  features  of  the  deceased  author  and  those  of 
Joseph  Postl,  who  visited  Solothurn  to  settle  the  estate.  The 
autographs  of  Sealsfield  were  found  to  be  very  similar  to  the 
handwriting  of  the  lost  Carl  Postl.  Kertbeny's  attempt  to  make 
out  of  Sealsfield  an  Austrian  Jew  is  ridiculous.  The  portrait  of 
the  author  (see  Gartenlmibe,  1864,  p.  53)  shows  none  of  the  char- 
acteristics of  an  oriental  type. 

The  origin  of  the  assumed  name,  Sealsfield,  seems  to  be  cor- 
rectly explained  by  Hamburger,  Seakfield-Postl,  p.  21:  "Ich 
glaube,  dass  Postl  sich  Sealsfield  aus  Seafield  bildete.  James, 
Earl  of  Findlater  and  Seafield,  ein  Abkoemmling  der  angesehe- 
nen  schottischen  Familie  der  Ogilvies,  lebte  seit  dem  Jahre  1790 
auf  dem  Continente,  besonders  in  Dresden  und  im  noerdlichen 
Boehmen.  Er  war  ein  leidenschaftlicher  Liebhaber  der  Bau-  und 
Gartenkunst,  und  sein  enormer  Reichthum  gestattete  ihm  ueberall, 
wo  er  sich  aufhielt,  seiner  liebenswuerdigen  Schwaeche  in  uneigen- 
nuetziger  Weise  zu  froehnen.  In  Dresden  legte  er  '■  Findlater's 
Weinberg'  an,  welcher,  seitdem  er  in  den  Besitz  des  Prinzen 
Albrecht  von  Preussen  ueberging,  'Albrechtsburg '  genannt  wird. 
Die  Stadt  Carlsbad,  welche  er  durch  Bauten  und  Gartenanlagen 
verschoenerte,  widmete  ihm  einen  Obelisk.     In  Teplitz  erbaute  er 


13 

mit  dem  Grafen  Clam  das  Armenhaus.  In  Prag  wollte  er  den 
Rossmarkt  zu  einem  Park  auf  eigene  Kosten  umgestalten,  Er 
starb  1811  und  der  Titel  eines  Grafen  von  Seafield  ging  auf  die 
Familie  Grant  ueber.  Postl  vernahm  ohne  Zweifel  das  Lob 
seines  humanen  Wirkens  und  kannte,  wie  Jedermann  in  der  Ge- 
gend,  den  Namen  und  die  Plaetze  und  Erfolge  seiner  Wohlthaetig- 
keit.  Als  nun  Postl  an  die  Wahl  eines  falschen  Namens  denken 
musste,  erinnerte  er  sich  gewiss,  da  er  sonst  keine  Gelegenheit 
hatte  mit  Englaendern  zu  verkehren,  und  daher  nur  wenig  engli- 
sche  Namen  kannte,  alsbald  an  Seafield,  aus  welchem  er  durch 
Einschiebung  des  '  Is  '  Sealsfield  bildete." 

2.  The  Period  of  Transatlantic  Travels,  Residence  in 
America,  etc.,  1823-32. 

Ca£][  Postl,  bearing  the  new  name  Sealsfield,  arrived  in  New 
Orleans  late  in  the  year  1823.  We  find  frequent  confirmation  of 
this  statement  in  Sealsfield's  book,  '  Nordamerika '  (N.  A.),  Gotta, 
1827;  i\^.  N.  A.,  II,  p.  169:  "Diese  Stadt  [New  Orleans]  hatte  in 
den  drei  Jahren,  in  denen  ich  sie  nicht  gesehen,  ungeheuer  zuge- 
nommen."  This  was  written  in  1826.  He  did  not  tarry  long  in 
the  South,  chiefly  on  account  of  his  abhorrence  of  slavery.  It 
is  a  very  interesting  fact  in  Sealsfield's  career,  that  during  the  first 
years  of  his  residence  in  America  he  was  a  violent  abolitionist  (see 
N.  A.,  II,  pp.  66,  112,  113,  etc.),  and  gradually,  as  he  became 
acquainted  with  Southern  planters,  like  his  own  Graf  Vignerolles 
(*' Lebensbilder,'  12,  13),  he  grew  more  tolerant  and  finally  pos- 
sessed slaves  himself. 

Sealsfield  settled  in  Armstrong  Co.,  Western  Pennsylvania, 
probably  as  early  as  1824.  Cf.  N.  A.,  I,  145:  "Ich  erinnere  mich 
hier  eines  Falles,  bei  dessen  Verhandlung  ich  zugegen  war.  Im 
Jahre  1823  wurde  in  Indiana  Co.  [adjacent  to  Armstrong  Co.],  im 
Staate  Pennsylvanien,  einem  gewissen  Shara  Sciiulden  halber,  ein 
Joch  Ochsen  gerichtlich  verkauft,"  etc.  This  trial  could  not  have 
taken  place  later  than  1824.  Again,  N.  A.,  I,  182:  "  Vor  mehreren 
Jahren  [written  in  1826 J  besuchte  mich  Mr.  R.,  der  frueher  in 
franzoesischen  Diensten  stand,  und  wir  fuhren  zur  Revue  von 
Armstrong  Co."  Sealsfield  resided  in  Kittanning  on  the  Alle- 
ghany river  (cf.  X.  A.,  II,  p.  i).  Wliat  his  occupation  was  during 
this  period  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  ascertain;  his  mercantile 
ability  and  capabilities  of  making  money,  however,  will  not  be 


14 

disputed  by  any  one  who  has  seen  the  thousand  and  one  points  of 
advice  given  on  this  topic  in  '  Nordamerika.'  He  mentions  a 
neighbor  B — ,  N.  A.,  II,  14.  Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Wilham 
Egle,  State  Librarian  of  Pennsylvania,  I  have  ascertained  that  the 
person  meant  was  probably  Robert  E,  Browne,  a  very  prominent 
personage  in  Kittanning  before  and  after  1830.  Sealsfield  seems 
to  have  had  a  great  number  of  acquaintances  in  the  neighboring 
districts.  Cf.  N.  A.,  II,  p.  10:  "....das  Staedtchen  Celienopel, 
37  Meilen  von  meinem  Wohnsitz.  Ich  stieg  im  Hause  meines 
Freundes  P — t  ab,  dessen  Schwiegerv^ater  Gruender  dieses  Staedt- 
chens  war,  das  den  Namen  seiner  Tochter,  der  gegenwaertigen 
Mrs.  P — t,  fuehrt."  I  learn  from  the  same  source  that  P — t 
stands  for  Pavanant  P.  S.  His  father-in-law,  Dr.  Dietmar  Basse, 
founder  of  the  town,  named  it  Celienopel  after  his  daughter  Celia. 
This  shows  how  closely  we  can  rely  upon  biographical  notes  in 
Sealsfield's  works. 

In  October,  1825,  Sealsfield  left  Kittanning  for  a  trip  to  the 
Southwest,  in  order  to  recover  his  health  and  settle  some  business 
accounts ;  see  N.  A.,  II,  pp.  1,2.  His  early  love,  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, Sealsfield  in  course  of  time  exchanged  for  his  later 
favorite,  Louisiana.  He  says  N.  A.,  II,  160  f.:  "Von  Indolenz  und 
Traegheit,  die  man  dem  suedlichen  Pflanzer  so  haeufig  vorwirft, 
ist  hier  nicht  die  Rede.  Der  Pflanzer  des  Suedens  gibt  dem  des 
Nordens  an  Thaetigkeit  und  Energie  wenig  oder  gar  nichts  nach; 
selbst  arbeiten  kann  er  zwar  nicht,  er  braucht  jedocli  dieses  auch 
nicht  zu  thun,  und  er  hat  hinlaenglich  Beschaeftigung,  wenn  er 
seine  Wirthschaft  gehoerig  nachsieht.  So  fand  ich  die  Verhaelt- 
nisse  daselbst  nach  reicher  Pruefung,  und  man  wird  mir  um  so 
mehr  Glauben  beimessen,  da  ich,  obwohl  ein  Feind  aller  Sklaverei, 
mich  selbst  in  diesem  Lande  niederlassen  werde,  das  allem  Rechte 
nach,  das  freie  Aegypten  des  Westens  zu  werden  verdient." 

In  1826  Sealsfield  returned  to  Europe  and  there  published  his 
work  '  Die  Vereinigten  Staaten  von  Nordamerika,  nach  ihrem 
politischen,  religioesen  und  gesellschaftlichen  Verhaeltnisse  be- 
trachtet.'  Cotta  1827,  Stuttgart.  He  was  also  engaged  by  J.  G. 
Gotta  as  American  correspondent  for  the  '  Augsburger  Allgemeine 
Zeitung '  and  for  the  '  Morgenblatt  fuer  Gebildete  Staende.'  One 
of  the  patrons  of  his  book  on  America  was  Prinz  Bernhard  von 
Sachsen- Weimar.  In  London  Sealsfield  brought  out  an  English 
version  of  '  Nordamerika,'  published  by  J.  Murray,  London,  1828; 
also  *  Austria  As  It  Is,'  published  by  Hurst,  Chance  &  Co.,  1828. 


15 

This  anonymously  published  work  is  now  known  to  be  Sealsfield's 
chiefly  through  a  reminiscence  of  Kertbeny,  '  Erinnerungen,'  p. 
27:  "  Eines  Tages  bei  nachherigen  Besuchen  holte  er  mir  ploetz- 
lich  ein  englisches  Buch  aus  dem  geheimnissvollen  ersten  Stock- 
werke  herab.  Da  er  mich  als  gedaechtnisscharfen  Bibliographen 
wusste,  so  belustigte  es  ihn,  mein  Erstaunen  zu.sehen.  Es  war 
das,  nun  laengst  vergessene,  einst  aber  wie  eine  Brandfackel  ver- 
schrieene  Buch  'Austria  As  It  Is.'  London,  1828.  Dies  merkwuer- 
dige,  hoechst  niecksichtslose  und  von  seltener  Kenntniss  der  Ver- 
haeltnisse  zeugende  Werk,  ward  in  den  dreissiger  Jahren  in  alia 
europaeischen  Sprachen  uebersetzt,  —  in  die  franzoesische  bei 
Bossange,  und  dann  kenne  ich  noch  eine  schwedische  und  eine 
spanische  Ausgabe, — aber  eben  so  entschieden  auch  von  der 
Wiener  Staatskanzlei  verfehmt,  demnach  sich  der  ganze  deutsche 
Bund  beeilte,  diese  Ketzerei  bei  Tod  von  Henkershand  zu  verbie- 
ten.  \'ergeblich  suclite  man  nach  dem  Autor. — Sealsfield  er- 
widerte  trocken:  '  Nun,  dies  war  das  erste  Buch  das  ich  je  drucken 
Hess.' " 

Sealsfield  being  delayed  in  London  by  the  publication  of  his 
works,  was  compelled  to  request  a  loan  of  £40  from  J.  G.  Cotta, 
which  was  granted  after  much  hesitation.  The  bold  but  respectful 
manner  in  which  the  stranger  makes  this  demand  in  his  letters  to 
Cotta  is  very  interesting;  there  is  nothing  of  the  poverty-stricken 
author  about  it,  the  picture  that  Hamburger  attempts  to  force 
upon  us.  In  1827  Sealsfield  returned  to  America  and  resided  at 
first  in  Philadelphia,  236  Spruce  St.  There  he  worked  day  and 
night  for  seven  weeks,  a  correspondent  for  Cotta's  German 
journals.  Not  receiving  the  support  which  he  thought  was  due 
to  him,  he  left  for  his  old  home,  Kittanning,  and  there  began  to 
write  his  first  historical  novel, '  Canondah,'  published  in  the  follow- 
ing year  under  the  title,  *  Tokeah,  or  the  White  Rose,'  Carey,  Lea 
&  Co.,  Philadelphia,  1828. 

In  1828—29  Sealsfield  visited  Alexico,  and  the  journal  which  he 
kept  was  in  part  published  as  '  Sueden  und  Norden '  (1842),  the 
description  of  a  tour  through  Southern  Mexico.  The  literary- 
fruit  of  the  first  part,  the  journey  through  the  principal  cities  of 
Mexico,  appeared  in  *  Der  Virey  und  die  Aristokraten,  oder 
Mexico  im  Jahre  1812.'  Hon.  J.  R.  Poinsett,  a  personal  friend  of 
Sealsfield  and  to  whom  he  dedicated  his  '  Cajuetenbuch,'  plays  an 
important  part  in  the  book  '  Sueden  und  Norden,'  as  ambassador 
of  the  United  States  to  ^Mexico,  which  appointment  he  received  in 


i6 

1825.  Sealsfield  was  never  a  sentimental  traveler;  we  may  assume 
with  Meissner,  as  the  immediate  object  of  his  expedition  to 
Mexico,  some  mercantile  project.  Almost  all  the  characters  in 
'  Sueden  und  Norden/  notably  "  Hardy,"  who  tells  the  story,  are 
merchants;  the  trade  in  cochineal  is  an  important  element  in  the 
book. 

In  1829,  through  the  aid  of  his  friends,  as  he  declared,  Seals- 
field  was  appointed  editor  of  the  '  Courrier  des  Etats  Unis '  in 
New  York,  which  had  been  bought  by  Joseph  Bonaparte,  Count 
de  Survdllieurs.  He  said  to  Kertbeny,  concerning  his  work  on 
this  journal:  "Unser  Wirken  glich,  schon  der  geographischen 
Distanz  wegen,  einem  Duell  von  Standpunkten  aus,  die  zwei- 
tausend  Meilen  von  einander  entfernt  waren.  Schrieb  ich  heute 
einen  moeglichst  scharfen  Artikel,  so  hatten  wir  alle  ihn  schon 
laengst  vergessen,  als  drei  bis  vier  Monate  damach  uns  franzoesi- 
sche  Journale  mit  ebenso  heftiger  Antwort  zukamen.  Das  schien 
auf  die  Dauer  kindisch.  Der  Ex-Koenig  sail  das  endlich  auch 
ein."  In  1830,  Sealsfield  gave  up  his  editorship  and  was  for 
some  time  an  agent  in  the  interests  of  Jos.  Bonaparte.  He  again 
visited  the  Southwestern  States.  Hartmann  says  {Gartciilaube, 
1865)  that  Sealsfield  at  this  period  had  determined  to  become  a 
planter  in  Louisiana,  on  the  Red  River.  Intending  to  buy  a 
number  of  slaves,  he  first  visited  his  banker  in  New  Orleans,  where 
his  money  was  deposited.  The  banker,  after  having  entertained 
his  depositor  ver}^  hospitably  for  three  days,  announced  his  insolv- 
ency on  the  fourth,  and  thus  ruined  entirely  Sealsfield's  prospects 
of  becoming  a  Southern  planter.  There  is  also  a  record  of  Seals- 
field's  having  bought  in  1831  an  interest  in  a  cotton  firm  in 
Alexandria  on  the  Red  River.  This  may  have  been  purchased 
with  the  collected  remnants  of  his  wrecked  capital. 

In  1 83 1  Sealsfield  once  more  crossed  the  Atlantic  and  visited 
England  vvith  letters  of  introduction  from  Joseph  Bonaparte  to 
Lords  Aberdeen,  Brougham,  Palmerston  and  others.  Whether 
he  had  any  commission  from  Girard,  as  the  novel  '  Morton '  has 
led  some  to  suppose,  I  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain.  Permis- 
sion to  examine  the  business  accounts  of  the  late  Stephen  Girard, 
kept  at  Girard  College,  Philadelphia,  was  refused  me  by  the 
'  Board  of  City  Trusts '  of  that  city.  Sealsfield  was  at  the  same 
time  correspondent  of  a  leading  American  newspaper,  the  '  New 
York  Morning  Courier  and  Enquirer,'  and  also  of  the  '  English- 
man,' but  did  not  continue  his  contributions  beyond  the  year  1832. 


17 

In  this  year  he  settled  in  Switzerland,  at  first  in  Tegernweilen 
near  Arenenberg,  the  home  of  the  exiled  Queen  Hortense  and  her 
son  Louis  Napoleon.  He  was  introduced  to  the  royal  family  by 
Jos.  Bonaparte  and  was  soon  made  the  confidant  of  all  secret  plans 
of  the  Bonapartists ;  he  seems  to  have  acted  as  private  secretary 
to  Ex-Queen  Hortense.  His  memoirs  of  Arenenberg  were  never 
published,  cf.  Kertbeny  p.  40:  "  Sie  wuenschen  die  Erinnerungen 
an  Arenenberg  zu  sehen?  Diesen  Wunsch  kann  ich  Ihnen  nicht 
erfuellen.  Das  Lebensbild  datirt  vom  Jalire  1832,  in  welchem  ich 
zuerst  durch  den  verstorbenen  Ex-Koenig  von  Spanien  einge- 
fuehrt,  die  Bekanntschaft  Louis  Napoleons  und  seiner  Mutter 
machte.  Ich  wurde  freundlich,  ja  ausgezeichnet  aufgenommen 
und  eines  Vertrauens  gewuerdigt,  das  sicli  in  diesem  Lebensbilde 
ausspricht.  Der  ungeheure  Contrast  zwischen  den  Jahren  1808— 
1824  und  1832  tritt  in  diesen  Aufzeichnungen,  in  den  Aeusse- 
rungen  der  nun  verstorbenen  Koenigin  so  lebhaft  liervor,  dass  es 
unzart  von  meiner  Seite  waere,  dieses  Bild  nach  dreissig  Jahren 
wieder  aufzufrischen, — fuer  sie  aber  selbst  gefaehrlich  werden 
koennte,  etc. — Wohlverstanden  das  Lebensbild  enthaelt  keine 
Silbe,  die  unehrenhaft  oder  geringschaetzig  von  Sohn  oder  Mutter 
spraeche.  Aber  ein  Kaiser  liebt  es  hoechstwahrscheinlich  nicht 
an  seine  Dunkelheit,  Exil  u.  s.  w.  erinnert  zu  werden,  und  seiner 
Mutter  geheimste  Gedanken  der  Welt  vorgelegt  zu  sehen.  Mit 
Recht  wuerde  es  von  Seite  Napoleons  als  unzart,  als  Missbrauch 
genossener  Gastfreundschaft, — von  Seite  meiner  uebrigen  Bekann- 
ten  aber  wuerde  es  sehr  leicht  als  Kriecherei  oder  Schmeichelei 
ausgelegt  werden,  und  Beides  waere  nicht  wohl  passend  fuer  den 
Republikaner,  der  die  Grundsaetze  des  Republikanismus  als  sein 
Hauptbanner  sein  Leben  durch  verfochten!  "  Kertbeny's  anxiety 
to  get  these  memoirs  probably  induced  Sealsfield  to  burn  them  the 
sooner. 

3.  The  Period  of  Sealsfield's  Greatest  Literary  Activity, 

1 832-1 848. 

From  1832-37  Sealsfield  resided  for  the  most  part  in  Switzer- 
land and  devoted  his  entire  attention  to  literature.  His  books 
were  well  received  in  Germany  and  elsewhere;  the  fame  of  the 
anonymous  author  gradually  became  as  wide-spread  as  that  of 
Cooper  and  even  rivalled  that  of  the  '  Wizard  of  the  North.'  A 
list  of  Sealsfield's  works  in  chronological  order  is  given  in  the 
Bibliography,  pp.  52-53. 


i8 

In  1837  the  author  again  visited  America,  as  Hartmann  says: 
"Nicht  cliesmal  als  gefeierter  Taenzer,  wie  in  1830,  sondern  als 
gereifter  Mann,  beruehmter  Schriftsteller,  er  sah  objectiv  die 
grossen  Schlagschatten  im  amerikanischen  Staats-  und  Privat- 
leben.  Im  Weissen-Hause  vom  Praesident  empfangen;  die 
Hoechsten  verschmaehten  nicht  seinen  Rath  anzuhoeren;  er 
zaehlte  unter  seinen  persoenlichen  Bekanntschaften  die  hervor- 
ragendsten  Maenner  jener  Zeit."  President  Jackson  was  at  that 
time  in  the  White  House,  but  Sealsfield's  acquaintance  with  him 
may  date  from  an  earHer  period.  "The  house  of  Major-General 
Jackson  is  always  open  to  every  respectable  citizen"  (N.  A., 
I.);  this  remark  leads  us  to  suppose  that  Sealsfield  had  also  enjoyed 
that  hospitality. 

On  this  trip  to  America  Sealsfield  made  investments  in  United 
States  railroad  bonds,  and  gathered  new  materials  for  a  story  pub- 
lished in  1839,  '  Die  Deutsch-amerikanischen  Wahlverwandschaf- 
ten.'  Upon  his  return,  he  again  resided  in  Switzerland,  at  first 
in  Tegernweilen,  then  in  Zuerich  and  Feuerthalen;  from  1847—50 
in  Schaffh.ausen.  His  literary  activity  continued  unabated. 
Yielding  to  the  demands  of  his  publishers,  he  disclosed  his  anony- 
mity in  1845.  The  two  large  editions  of  about  10,000  vols.,  pub- 
lished in  Stuttgart,  1843—47,  mark  the  period  of  the  author's 
greatest  popularity.  In  1848  the  attention  of  the  world  was  drawn 
away  from  literature  by  political  events,  and  the  demand  for  Seals- 
.  field's  works  soon  ceased.  The  author's  failing  eye-sight  made  it 
difficult  for  him  to  enjoy  his  favorite  pursuit,  and  this  discouraged 
his  further  efforts  in  literature. 

4.    The  Period  of  Decline  in  Popularity;    the  Author's 
Seclusion  and  Old  Age,  1848- 1864. 

In  1850  Sealsfield  again  visited  his  beloved  America,  but  re- 
turned in  the  fall  of  the  same  year.  During  the  summer  of  185 1 
he  resided  in  the  house  of  a  merchant  in  Schaffliausen,  by  the 
name  of  Meyer,  whose  daughter  Elise  was  the  most  intimate  friend 
of  the  author's  old  age.  It  became  the  dearest  occupation  of  this 
delicate  young  girl  to  listen  to  the  discourses  of  her  paternal 
friend  on  social,  religious  and  political  topics;  and  it  was  she  who 
stimulated  him  to  further  literary  pursuits.  When,  in  1853—58, 
the  author  visited  America  for  the  last  time,  he  kept  up  an  un- 
interrupted correspondence  with  Elise  Meyer.  These  letters  in 
all  probability  still  exist,  but  they  are  inaccessible. 


19 

Duriii"-  his  stay  in  Xew  York  an  offer  was  made  to  him  by 
Appleton  &  Co.  for  the  pubHcation  of  a  complete  set  of  his  works 
in  EngUsh,  parallel  to  the  German  (Stuttgart)  edition.  For  some 
unknown  reason  Sealsfield  refused.  In  his  old  age,  the  author 
thought  his  works  were  doomed  to  a  speedy  death,  since  they  no 
longer  represented  the  present  time.  He  seems  never  to  have 
appreciated  the  historical  value  of  his  own  work,  and  took  no  care 
to  improve  the  original  editions  of  his  books.  He  returned  to 
Switzerland  with  new  plans  for  further  activity,  and  hoped  to  find 
in  Elise  Aleyer  his  literary  assistant.  His  approaching  blindness 
and  bodily  weakness,  however,  prevented  him  from  completing  a 
single  work.  We  cite  a  few  extracts  from  letters  to  his  young 
friend,  written  at  this  period  {Daheim,  1865): 

I.  (No  date,  i860?):  "Es  kam  mir  vor,  als  ob  Sie  schliesslich 
noch  einmal  der  Vermittler  zwischen  mir  und  dem  Publicum 
werden  sollten — aber  es  geht,  so  wie  es  ist,  nicht  an — und  werde 
ich  wohl  den  Gedanken  an  schriftstellerische  Wirksamkeit  auf- 
geben  muessen." 

n.  :\Iay  8,  1862:  ''Ich  bin  vielleicht  undankbar  gegen  die 
\'orsehung,  die  mir  in  meinem  Alter  verhaeltnissmaessig  ruhige 
Tage  giebt;  aber  ich  bin  nicht  heiter,  ein  drueckendes  Gefuehl, 
eine  Abspannung  hat  sich  meiner  bemeistert,  auch  fuehle  ich  dass 
meine  Kraefte  zu  schwinden  anfangen.  Das  ist  Naturgesetz, 
werden  Sie  sagen,  allein  eben  dieses  Naturgesetz  sich  recht  lebhaft 
einpraegen  und  mit  philosophischem  Gleichmuthe  den  Lebens- 
faden  duenner  und  duenner  werden  sehen  und  dabei  mit  heitrem 
Frohmuthe  seinem  endlichen  Schicksale  entgegen  treten,  das  ist 
nur  sehr  grossen  Seelen  gegeben.  Zuweilen  wandeln  mich  nun 
auch  wirklich  heitere  Gedankenfluege  an,  aber  dann  kommen 
wieder  Schatten." 

III.  July  3cl,  1862:  "  Ich  bin  wirklich,  wie  Sie  sagen,  Einsiedler 
geworden.  Ich  bin  am  liebsten  allein.  Im  hoeheren  Alter — und 
ich  habe  dieses  nun  seit  mehreren  Jahren  angetreten, — im  Greisen- 
alter  ist  es  geziemend,  sich  von  der  Welt  zurueckzuziehen,  in  die 
sich  der  Juengling  stuerzen  muss,  wenn  er  zum  Manne  reifen  soil. 
Die  Einsamkeit  ist  da  an  ihrem  Platze,  es  draengen  sich  Fragen 
auf,  die  keine  Buecher  beantworten,  die  man  selbst  aber  beant- 
worten  soil  und  muss.  Sie  sehen,  ich  bin  ganz  ernsthaft  geworden 
in  der  That.  Der  letzte  Winter  hat  mich  aelter  gemacht  als  die 
zehn  frueheren.  Nicht  dass  ich  koerperlich  sehr  gealtert  haette, — 
aber  ich  fuehle,  dass  meine  Laufbahn  keine  lange  mehr  sein  wird 


20 

und  ich  bin  es  ganz  zufrieden.  Ich  wuerde  es  fuer  kein  Glueck 
erachten,  noch  zehn  Jahre  zu  leben,  obgleich  ich  immer  noch  nicht 
die  eigentliche  Altersschwaeche  fuehle.     Der  Geist  ist  noch  jung." 

These  letters  were  written  from  Sealsfield's  home  'Unter  den 
Tannen,'  situated  at  the  base  of  the  Jura  Mountains  near  Solo- 
thum.  Here  he  had  purchased  an  old  farmhouse,  commanding  a 
beautiful  view  and  imbedded  in  a  group  of  pine-trees.  He  lived 
the  life  of  a  recluse,  and  the  fact  that  he  kept  the  house  dark  at  all 
times,  which  was  due  to  his  weak  eyesight,  spread  the  notion 
among  the  people  that  the  old  man  was  a  misanthrope,  a  '  Timon.' 
Besides  frequent  visits  from  Swiss  acquaintances,  he  received  here 
his  literary  friends,  Alfred  Hartmann  and  Kertbeny,  and  they  have 
praised  highly  the  old  author's  hospitality  and  conviviality.  The 
anecdotes  of  his  intercourse  with  Swiss  peasants,  and  the  other 
stories  about  his  eccentricities  and  daily  habits,  are  as  numerous  as 
they  are  interesting.  The  free  outpourings  of  his  soul  on  all 
topics  to  Kertbeny  and  others  reminds  us  of  Goethe  in  his  old 
age.  Kertbeny,  pp.  20-22,  thus  describes  his  personal  appearance: 
"  Die  Figur  war  nicht  gross  aber  auch  nicht  klein,  nicht  mager, 
nicht  fett.  Der  Kopf  dagegen  schien  kleiner  als  die  Schultem 
erwarten  liessen.  Der  Blick  zeigte  sich  tiefliegend  und  durch  die 
Augenglaeser  mit  Anstrengung  scharf  erscheinend.  Die  Stirne 
gab  sich  hoch,  aber  der  Untertheil  des  Gesichtes  breiter.  Stark 
war  die  Nase  aber  plump,  der  grosse  Mund  schien,  wahrscheinlich 
durch  Mangel  an  Backenzaehnen,  eingekniffen,  dadurch  das  Kinn 
vorstehender.  Das  kurze  Kopfhaar  war  noch  nicht  weiss,  bios 
salz-  und  pfeffergrau.  Charakteristisch  wiess  sich  der  kurze  mit 
der  Scheere  zugestutzte  Schnurrbart. — Er  trug — ein  Greuel  fuer 
Englaender!  —  eine  hohe  steife,  schwarze  Seidenkravatte,  von 
rueckwaerts  zuschnallbar.  Dazu  so  schlecht  gemachte  Hemden 
wie  der  aechteste  Deutsche;  einen  alten  verblichenen  Hausflaus, 
und  Zwilchbeinkleider,  auch  ehrenwerthe,  ausgetretene  Stiefel. — 
Im  ganzen  machte  er  mehr  den  Eindruck  eines  alten  quiescirten 
Militaers,  haette  ihm  die  Brille  nicht — daheim  eine  silberne,  aus- 
waerts  eine  goldene — das  Aussehen  eines  alten  Schreibers  gege- 
ben." 

In  1862,  Sealsfield  became  the  victim  of  a  chronic  abdominal 
disease,  which  left  him  no  opportunity  for  active  work  and  finally 
ended  his  life  on  the  26th  of  May,  1864.  Before  his  death  he  is 
said  to  have  burned  all  his  private  papers  and  unpublished  literar}^ 
works ;  his  will  was  left  in  the  hands  of  '  Nationalrath  Peier '  in 


21 


Schaffhausen,  his  intimate  friend,  whom  he  designated  administra- 
tor of  his  estate. 

Sealsfield's  will  is  a  work  of  art,  as  well  as  a  monument  to  his 
character.  His  last  wish  is  to  endow  the  sons  of  his  near  relatives, 
provided  they  prove  themselves  worthy,  with  the  means  to 
emigrate  to  America  and  enable  them  to  make  for  themselves  a 
name  respected  and  honored  in  the  land  of  his  own  adoption. 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  STYLE  OF  CHARLES  SEALSFIELD. 

A  short  time  after  the  appearance  of  the  two  complete  editions 
of  Sealsfield's  works  (Stuttgart,  1843-47),  the  current  of  poHtical 
events  swept  away  all  sympathy  for  literature,  and  turned  into  other 
channels  the  great  interest  that  had  been  manifested  for  the 
author's  transatlantic  stories.  When  the  flood  of  revolution  wliicli 
the  year  1848  brought  with  it  had  subsided,  Charles  Sealsfield 
seemed  almost  entirely  forgotten.  The  revelations  made  after  the 
publication  of  the  author's  will  in  1864, — the  discussions  that  fol- 
lowed in  all  leading  German  newspapers  as  to  the  identity  of 
Charles  Sealsfield  and  Carl  Postl,— all  this  sufficiently  revived  the 
interest  in  his  personality,  but  was  unable  to  re-establish  the  bygone 
popularity  of  his  works.  Other  writers,  such  as  Gerstaecker, 
Ruppius,  Armand,  Wachenhusen,  etc.,  members  of  the  same  school 
that  Sealsfield  had  created,  the  school  of  '  Exotic  Romance,'  (der 
exotische,  culturhistorische  oder  ethnologische  Roman),  now  be- 
came the  fashion  of  the  day.  Though  inferior  in  genius,  they 
wrote  romances  of  more  artistic  construction,  with  carefully  finished 
plots;  not  like  those  of  their  predecessor,  broken  off  in  the  midst 
of  the  narrative.  Besides  possessing  these  popular  elements,  the 
new  romances  were  written  in  a  style  that  flowed  more  smoothly, 
unobstructed  by  such  masses  of  foreign  words  and  phrases,  by 
strange  sentence-constructions,  which  were  incomprehensible  and 
— principally  for  that  reason — offensive  to  the  great  body  of  Ger- 
man novel-readers. 

Sealsfield's  style  has  been  generally  made  answerable  for  the 
obscurity  which  has  enveloped  the  author  from  1850  to  the  present 
day.  His  name  bears  the  stigma  of  a  careless  and  slovenly  writer, 
who,  partly  owing  to  his  long  residence  in  America  and  partly 
through  a  lack  of  feeling  for  language,  was  unable  to  write  even 
a  marketable  German  prose.  Such  criticism  has  heretofore  stood 
in  the  way  of  any  attempt  at  a  closer  investigation  of  Sealsfield's 
style.  To  a  German-American  reader  a  large  class  of  Anglo- 
American  expressions  will  at  once  appeal  as  masterly  touches, 
which  to  Gernian  readers  would  seem  only  tedious  and  pedantic. 


23 

Careful  study  will  show  that  there  is  method  in  Sealsfield's  style,' 
that  there  is  conscious  art  in  the  use  of  language  spoken  by  individ- 
ual characters,  and  that  die  author  is  not  unwilling  to  set  up  his 
own  German  against  classic  models  and  to  challenge  the  test  of 
time.     i\Iax  W.  Goetzinger,  professor  in  Schaffhausen,  1827--51, 
glowing  with   an   enthusiasm   for  good   and   correct   literature, 
offered  Sealsfield  his  services  "  das  unvollkommene  Deutsch  der 
Personen   zu   corrigiren."     ''  Das    ist   eben   amerikanisch,"    was 
Sealsfield's  reply.     He  was  not  a  little  provoked  at  the  frequently 
profifered  advice  of  reviewers  and  publishers  to  have  his  books 
revised  by  some  one  who  could  write  '  standard  German.'     The 
follow'ing  extract  from  a  letter  to  H.  Erhard  (J.  B.  Metzler),  dated 
Schaffhausen,  Aug.  17,  1847,  will  illustrate  the  author's  position: 
"  Danke  ich  fuer  die  uebersandten  Reviews — und  werde  sehen  was 
sich  in  dieser  Hinsicht  machen  laesst.     Es  ist  hier  in  Schaffhausen 
naemlich  ein  Professor  Goetzinger — den  Sie  ohnc  Zweifel  kennen 
und  der  seine  Dienste  angeboten.     Doch  haben  diese  einen  klei- 
nen  Haken,  und  es  gehoert  einige  Ueberlegung  dazu,  ehe  man  sich 
entschliesst.     Schriftlich  kann  ich  mich  deshalb  nicht  wohl  erklae- 
ren,  weil  diese  Erklaerung  viel  zu  viel  Schreibung  verursachen 
wuerde.     Vielleicht  giebt  sich  die  Gelegenheit,  es  besser  muend- 
lich  zu  thun."     The  only  book  that  Sealsfield  submitted  to  the 
hand  of  a  corrector  was  '  Nordamerika.'     Of  this  he  says  in  a 
letter  to  J.  F.  von  Gotta,  Frankfurt,  Sept.  16,  1826:  "Einige  der 
geschicktesten    JNIaenner   in    Frankfort    haben    die    Auspolirung, 
wenn  ich  so  sagen  darf,  uebernommen,  da  meine  Schreibart  etwas 
ins  Englische  schlaegt  und  es  wird  in  reinem  Deutsch  erscheinen.'' 
Sealsfield's  German  is  not  influenced  by  any  Gemian-American 
dialect.     From  his  long  residence  in  Pennsylvania  we  might  be 
led  to  suppose  this.     But  the  author  is  conscious  of  his  superiority 
to  such  dialects;  he  even  imitates  Pennsylvania  German  with  a 
humorous  effect.     (See  e.  g.,  p.  37.)     In  the  preface  to  '  Der  Legi- 
time,' Vol.  I,  p.  XX,  there  is  the  following  apology  for  Sealsfield's 
style :  "  Sollten  Sie  in  dieser  meiner  Verdeutschung  Amerikan- 
ismen  finden,  so  bitte  ich  schonend  umzugehen,  da  es  ohne  diese 
schwer  sein  duerfte,  dem  Geiste,  der  durch  das  Englische  w^eht, 
voUkommene  Gerechtigkeit  widerfahren  zu  lassen,  oder  dieselben 
rein  dem  Leser   wiederzugeben.     Diesem  duerfte  der  Stil  anfangs 
auft'allen;  aber  er  ward  sich  um  so  besser  daran  gewoehnen,  als  er 
ihn  zugleich  mit  dem  Tone  und  der  Sprechart  der  grossen  Repub- 
lik,  deren   Sitten  hier  zum  Theile  geschildert  werden,  vertraut 


24 

macht  und  ihn  init  iJiren  Worten  spree  he  Ji  lehrt"  A  key  to  Seals- 
field's  style  is  to  be  found  in  his  confessions  to  the  Hungarian 
writer  Kertbeny.  Cf .  '  Erinnerungen  an  Sealsfield,'  p.  j'j :  "  Ich 
frug  S.  einmal:  'Am  merkwuerdigsten  fuer  mich  ist  es,  dass  Sie, 
der  in  fruehester  Jugend  schon  deutschem  Boden,  somit  deutschem 
Klange  entrueckt  wurde,  solch  ein  merkwuerdig  urechtes  Deutsch 
schreiben,  ja  sich  schufen,  wie  es  fast  seit  Goethe  in  deutscher 
Prosa  nicht  vorkommt?  Es  ist  wahr,  Sie  gebrauchen  Fremdwoer- 
ter  in  buntschaeckigster  Art  und  Fuelle  wie  nur  je  Pueckler- 
Muskau.  Aber  das  sind  eben  wirklich  fremde  Worte.  Dagegen 
was  Sie  deutsch  sagen  ist  in  Ihrem  Stile  so  conzis  urdeutsch,  in 
der  Konstruction  und  in  den  oft  willkuerlichen  Beugungen,  so 
deutsch  gedacht,  wie  seit  Justus  Moeser  nicht  so  bald  ein  zweites 
Beispiel  sich  auftreiben  laesst.'  '  Sehr  einfach/  enviederte  er,  '  das 
literarische  Deutsch  seit  wenigstens  zwei  Jahrhunderten  ging  aus 
latinisirter  Bildung  hervor,  ahmte  des  Roemischen,  oder  gar  des 
Kuechenlateins  [Kirchenlatein?],  dann  des  Franzoesischen  Beug- 
ungen nach.  Ich  dagegen  ging  ans  dein  Englischen  zurueck  ins 
Deutsche.  Das  Englische  aber,  trotz  seiner  Vermischung  mit  galli- 
schen  Worten,  ist  in  seinem  Grundbau  angelsaechsisch,  daenisch, 
oder  weiss  Gott  was  sonst,  aber  jedenfalls  reiner  germanisch  er- 
halten.  Ich  machte  daher  nichts,  als  icli  schrieb  mit  deutschen 
Worten  cngliscJi,  nach  englischen  Konstmctionsbedi^ignissen,  tmd 
siehe  da,  das  war  denn  deutscher,  als  das  latinisirte  Gelehrten- 
deutscli' " 

The  passages  quoted  show  that  Sealsfield's  style  is  based  on  well 
conceived  principles.  The  author  in  his  old  age  was  pleased  to 
be  told  that  he  had  succeeded  so  well  in  inventing  what  he  thought 
was  a  useful  departure  for  German  prose.  The  phenomena  that 
appear  in  Sealsfield's  style  are  manifold  and  complex,  but  may  be 
subjected  to  grouping  and  definition.  The  following  is  a  first 
attempt  at  classification: 

Section  I. — The  Use  of  Words  and  Phrases: 

A.  Anglo-American  and  English  words  which  have  assumed 
grammatical  gender;  printed  in  German  script. 

B.  Untranslated  English  words  and  phrases,  many  with  a  local 
American  coloring;  printed  in  Roman  type. 

C.  Instances  where  the  author's  acquired  tendency  towards 
English  construction  has  led  him  to  usages  especially  revolting  to 
the  German  ear. 


25 

D.  Words  and  phrases  peculiar  to  Sealsfield.  Mannerisms; 
pet  words;  hybrid  word-formations. 

Section  II. — Sealsfield's  Sentence.     Rhetorical  Effect. 

a.  A  heaping  up  of  verbs  and  other  parts  of  speech. 

b.  The  use  of  superlatives. 

c.  Reiteration. 

d.  Antithesis ;  turns  of  thought ;  asyndeton. 

e.  The  infinitive,     f.  The  participle. 

g.  Uninfiected  adjective  used  adverbially. 

h.  The  use  of  numerals,  i.  Als,  dies,  um,  etc.,  dative  of  pos- 
sessor. 

Section  III. — "  Die  Sprache  der  Personen." 

Imitations  of  dialects.     The  speech  of  individuals. 

Section  IV. — General  Remarks  on  Sealsfield's  Style. 

I.  Recapitulation.  2.  Development  of  style.  3.  The  Journalist. 
4.  Richness  of  Sealsfield's  style. 

Section  I.— The  Use  of  Words  and  Phrases. 
A. 

Anglo-American  and  English  words;  characteristic,  familiar  and 
technical  terms.  All  words  under  this  head  are  printed  in  German 
type  and  have  been  given  grammatical  gender.  The  object  of  the 
author  seems  to  be,  if  not  to  force  them  upon  the  German  language, 
at  least '  to  accustom  and  to  teach  German  readers  to  speak  in  the 
language  of  the  Great  Republic'  The  large  collection  of  words 
coming  under  this  head  may  be  subdivided  as  follows: 

I.  The  familiar  surroundings  and  occupations  of  daily  life. 

Drawingroom — "  Iin  Urawingroom  sass  Margareth  .  .  ."  Leb.  9,  44.^ 
Framehaus — "Das  Framehaus,"  Mor.  7,  95.  Parlour — "  Das  Parlour  iststets 
au£  dem  Lande  im  Erdgeschosse,"  NA.  II,  99,  175.  Office — "  Um  die  Medizin 
kommst  du  auf  die  Office,"  Mor.  7,  94.  Porch — "  Wenn  wir  in  der  Jasmin- 
laube  unter  dem  Porch  sassen,"  S.  u.  N.  II,  279;  also  Leb.  13,  208.  Bar — 
*' Die  Bar-Schenktisch,"  NA.  I,  II.  Sideboard — "Ein  Sideboard  (Schenk- 
tisch)  ist  jedoch  ueberall  zu  finden,"  NA.  I,  175.  Farm,  Farmer — "  Eine 
Farm,"  NA.  II,  2;  "  Farmer,"  Leb.  9,  39.  Steatn-mill — "  Eine  am  Ohio  liegende 
Steam-mill"   (Dampfmuehle),    NA.    II,    157.     Creek — "Das   Gemurmel    der 

'  Citations  are  made  from  the  most  accessible  editions  of  Sealsfield's  works,  viz.  the  following  : 
Ge>ammelte  Werke  von  C.  Sealsfield,  Stuttgart,  1845-47,  15  vols.,  j2mo,  Metzler,  Vols.  1-3, 
Der  Legitime  und  die  Republikaner,  (Leg.);  Vols.  4-6,  Der  Virey  und  die  Aristokraten,  (Vir.)  ; 
Vols.  7-8,  Morton  oder  die  Grosse  Tour,  (Mor.) ;  Vols.  9-13,  Lebensbilderaus  der  Westlichen  Hemi- 
sphaere  (Leb.);  Vols.  14-15,  Das  Cajuetenbuch,  (CB.).  NA.=Nordamerika  nach  seinen  politi- 
schen,  etc.,  Verhaeltnissen  betrachtet,  Cotta,  1S27.  S.  u..N.=Sueden  und  Norden,  Stuttgart, 
Metzler,  1842-43,  8vo,  3  vols.  Walil.=Die  Deutsch-Amerikanischen  Wahlverwandtschaften, 
Zuerich,  1839-40,  4  vols.     Grab.=Grabesschuld,  edited  by  Meissner,  Leipzig,  iS 


26 

Creek,"  CB.  14,  64,  Street— "  Die  Waterstreet,"  Mor.  7,  22.  Lot— "  Ein 
Lot  fuer  ein  Haus,"  NA.  II,  35.  Rifle—"  Eine  kapitale  Rifle  "  (capital  rifle), 
CB.  14,  268;  Leb.  9,  201.  Inexpressibles,  Shawls  (now  commonly  used 
in  Germany) — "  Einen  neuen  Rock  oder  Inexpressibles,"  Leb.  9,  30; 
"  Shawls,"  Leb.  9,  14c.  Help — "Alte  Naerrin,  schrie  die  Help,"  Mor.  7,  134. 
Society — "Fuer  die  benevolent  Society,"  Mor.  7,  135.  Shopping — "Ma 
gaehnt  und  will  von  unserm  Shopping  nichts  wissen,'"  Leb.  9,  9.  Bachelor — 
"  Gleich  alien  alten  Bachelors  zeichnet  er  lieber  Schatten-  als  Lichtseiten," 
NA.  I,  54.  Luncheon— I-eb.  9,  140.  Jelly— NA.  II,  16.  Crackers— Leb.  9, 
140.  Haunches — Leb.  9,  198.  Gin,  Whiskey,  Toddy — Leb.  10,  112;  do.  9, 
77.     Smaller  (a  small  one) — "  Ein  kleines  Glas  mit  gebranntem  Wasser,"  Leb. 

9,  77;  Mor.  7.  Quid — "  Bei  den  Worten  schob  er  den  Tabaksquid  aus  seiner 
linken  Backenhoehle  in  die  rechte  ueber,"  CB.  15,  58.  Shake — "  Wuerde 
mir  nicht  gedacht  haben  (=would  not  have  thought  of  bringing)  mirda  Gaesfe 
mit  der  Shake  ins  Haus  zu  bringen,"  Leb.  13,  167.  The  words  Gentleman, 
Genteel  (CB.  15,  151),  Backwoodsman,  Yankee,  and  many  others  found  in 
the  works  of  other  authors  as  well,  are  used  by  Sealsfeld  as  a  matter  of  course. 

2.  Words  used  in  American  legislation  and  politics. 

Committee  — "  Selbst  die  Schulbuecher  werden  nebst  einer  Bibel  von  der 
Committee  unentgeltlich  ausgetheilt,"  NA.  I,  88.  "Abgeordnete  von  der 
Comitee,"  Leb.  11,  340.  Meeting  (feminine  and  neuter) — "Mit  uns  zum 
Meeting  zu  gehen,"  CB.  14,  276;  "  Wir  muessen  zu  einer  Meeting,"  Leb. 
11,256.  Assembly — "  Wir  liegen  immer  und  ewig  mit  der  Assembly  in  den 
Haaren,"  CB.  14,  242.  Motion — "Die  erste  Motion  die  auf  Veroeffentlichung 
antrug,"  CB.  14,  299,  Deed  (Besitzurkunde)— NA.  I,  64.  Lawyer— NA. 
I,  146.  Jury — NA.  I,  146.  Reglaehter=Regulator — Leb.  13,  27.  Stumpf- 
rede  (stump  speech) — Leb.  11,  182. 

3.  Technical  terms. 

Bottom — "  Ein  ungeheurer  Bottom"  (Fluss  ausschwemmung  ;  jede  fette 
Niederung  oder  Thalvveite),  Leb.  9,  60.  Upland,  Rolling  Prairie — Leb.  9. 
Sawyer— Leb,  9,  loi  (glossed).  Dug-out,  Canoe — Leb.  9,  71.  Pilot — 
Leb.  9,   loi.     Stern   und  Stem — Leb.  10,  116.     Polkatzen    (=polecat) — Leb. 

10,  157.  Mustang — CB.  14,  40.  Eirisch — "  Der  deutsche  Amerikaner  heisst 
die  Anglo-Amerikaner  gewoehnlich  die  Eirischen  (Irishmen,  Irlaender), 
wofuer  der  Anglo-Amerikaner  sich  wieder  mit  dem  Dutchman  (Hollaender) 
raecht,"  NA.  II,  29,  note;  "Von  der  Genuegsamen  Ansicht  ausgehend,  ja 
nicht  mehr  zu  lernen,  als  ihre  Vaeter  und  ja  nicht  Eirisch  zu  werden,  sind 
sie  (Pennsylvania  Germans)  mit  dem  Deutschen  zufrieden,"  NA.  I,  73.  A 
technical  phrase  like  "  Eirisch  "  has  a  right  to  existence  ;  cf.  the  German- 
American  "nativistisch."  Lynchen — "Sie  warden  so  ruhig  einig  ihn  zu 
lynchen,"  CB.  14. 

4.  Some  characteristic  American  and  idiomatic  English  phrases, 
retained  in  German  script. 

Spunk — "Sie  hatten  mehr  demokratischen  Spunk  als  ihren  Souveraenen  lieb 
war,"  CB.  14,  182.     Capers — "Da  haben  sie  nun  eine  unserer  volks-souver- 


V 

aenen  Capers,"  CB.  15,  62.  Chance — "Eine  Staatsform  in  der  jeder,  auch  der 
Aermste  seine  Chance  findet"(eine  guenstige  Gelegenheit),  CB.  15,  36.  Hum- 
bug—"1st  alias  Humbug"  (blauer  Dunst),  S.  u.  N.  II,  212.  Trouble— 
"  Trouble  in  eine  Versammlung  bringen,"  Leb.  13,  16S.    Mushroom-Aristokra- 

tie "  Uiess   ist  die  Art  und  Weise  wie   sich  unsere  Mushroom-Aristokratie 

gestaltet,"  Leb.  9,  21.  Rough  and  Tumble — "Lust  zu  einem  Rough  und 
Tumble,"  Leb.  11,170.  Small  Talk — "  Ini  Small  Talk  sind  sie  (Philadel- 
pliierinnen)  unuebertrefflich,"  Leb.  9,  15.  Notion — "  Ehe  sie  alle  ihre  Notionen 
vorgebracht,"  CB.  14,  273;  "Notionen  die  wie  ihr  wisst,  einmal  in  einem 
Yankee-schaedel  fixirt,  absolut  nicht  mehr  herauszubringen  sind,"  CB.  15, 
189.  Niceties  und  Notions — "Euere  Spitzfindigkeiten  und  Ideen.  Das 
Wort  Notions  wird  ueberhaupt  in  vielfachen  Beziehungen  gebraucht.  '  I  have 
the  notion '  =  Ich  bin  der  Meinung.  'Yankee  notions' — Yankee  Spitzbuebe- 
reien  "  (also  Yankee  wares,  nicknacks),  Leb.  10,  29S,  note.  Oddities — "  Selt- 
samkeiten,  Unanstaendigkeiten,"  Leb.  13,  206.  Fagend — "  Glaubt  ihr  das  es 
(Texas)  immer  Fagend,  fuenftes  Kad  am  elenden  mexikanischen  Staatswagen 
bleiben  wird?"CB.  14,  192;  "Fagend  nennt  man  das  ausgezupfte  Ende 
eines  Strickes,  das  werthlose  an  irgend  einer  Sache,  die  Canadas,  z.  B.  war- 
den ganz  richtig  das  Fagend  von  Amerika  genannt,  etc.,"  Leb.  9,  197,  note. 
Tantarum — "  Lasst  weiter  hoeren,  Mann,  calculiere,  ist  doch  weiter  nichts  als 
einer  eurer  gewoehnlichen  Tantarums,"  CB.  14,  158.  Squandary — "  Darum 
sind  wir  in  einem  Squandary  mit  unserem  General  Congresse,"  CB.  14,  242. 
"  Durch  irgend  eine  Squandary,  eine  Teufelei  den  Kopf  verruecken  zu  lassen," 
CB.  15,  197.  Frolic — "  Wir  waren  diesmal  zeitlicher,  um  bei  der  Clearing 
Frolic  nicht  die  letzten  zu  sein,"  Leb.  13,  370;  do.  note  :  "  Dieser  Frolics, 
Unterhaltungen,  Zusammenkuenfte,  giebt  es  mannigfaltige, — '  Quilting  frolics,' 
wo  sich  Maedchen  und  Frauen  zum  Steppen  der  Bettdecken  versammeln  ; 
'  Husking  frolics,'  zum  Aushuelsen  des  Waelschkorns,  u.  s.  w."  Jampartie 
— "  buchstaeblich  Balkenpartie — bekanntlich  sitzen  im  Winter  Gesellschaften 
in  einem  Halbzirkel  um  den  Feuerplatz  dessen  oberer  Marmorbalken  'Jam' 
genannt  wird ;  eine  langweilige  Gesellschaft,  die  daher  den  Balken  ansieht, 
wird  daher  Jamparty  genannt,"  Leb.  9,  36,  note.  Indian  File — "Der  Alte 
bedeutete  uns  in  bisheriger  Ordnung,  d.  h.  im  sog.  '  Indian  File  '  zu  folgen," 
Leb.  13,  20.  Palaver — "Aber  wozu  das  ewige  Palaver?  (Geschwaetze)," 
CB.  14,  258.  Old  Woman  (wife) — Leb.  13,  168,  where  the  use  of  the  word 
is  the  starting-point  for  a  scene  full  of  humor. 

5.  Sentences,  idiomatic  in  English,  are  translated  verbatim,  thus 
forcing  the  idiom  upon  German. 

"Er  stand  bios  sechs  Fuss  vier  Zoll  auf  seinen  Absaetzen,"  S.  u.  N.  I, 
44.  (He  stood  but  six  feet,  etc.,  on  his  heels — ironical.)  "  Freies  Feld  und 
keine  Gunst,  verstehst  du  ?"  S.  u.  N.  II,  216  (A  clear  field  and  no  favor!). 
"  War  vergessen  in  weniger  denn  keiner  Zeit  "  (In  less  than  no  time),  Leb.  13. 
Alle  Tage  unseres  Lebens — "  Haben  Lecke  davon  getragen  an  denen  wir  alle 
Tage  unseres  Lebens  zu  kalfatern  haben  werden,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  371  ;  cf.  CB. 
14,  81  (almost  a  mannerism). 


28 

B. 

Anglo-American  and  English  words  and  phrases  retained  with- 
out modification;  printed  in  Roman  type.  The  words  treated  in 
the  previous  division  were  without  exception  printed  with  German 
letters,  showing  a  more  conscious  effort  to  make  them  part  of  the 
German  language. 

1.  Phrases  with  an  American  local  coloring. 

Set  to — "Bin  ich  nicht  der  fechtende  Jack  Cockley,  dem  ein  '  Set  to'  das 
Herz  vor  Freude  springen  macht  ? "  S.  u.  N.  I,  139.  Sparkers — "  Und  ich 
sagte  ihr  sie  waere  ja  auch  noch  nicht  dreissig  und  haette  doch  schon  Sparkers 
zugelassen."  "  Sparkers  =  Liebhaber,  von  sparkle,  funkeln,  mit  den  Augen 
gluehen — daher  'spark,'  zu  Nacht  besuchen,"  Leb.  10,  121.  Bluestockings — 
"1st  wahr,  koennen  (diese  Indianerinnen)  nicht  lesen,  nicht  schreiben,  keine 
Romane  lesen,  keine  Zeitungen  ueber  Literatur  und  schoene  Kuenste  und 
fashionable  Wissenschaften  und  Prediger  und  Komoedianten,  nicht  plappern 
wie  cure  Bluestockings  in  New  England.  Aber  sage  euch,  woUte  nicht  diese 
Fehler  fuer  die  Tugend  eurer  Bluestockings  austauschen,"  S.  u.  N.  II,  286. 
Blue  Laws — "  In  die  Klauen  ihrer  Blue  Laws  bringen,"  CB.  14,  207.  Petti- 
coat Government — Leb.  10,  238.  Petticoats — "  Woher  kommt  es,  dass  wir 
Maenner  vor  den  Petticoats  einen  so  gewaltig  maechtigen  Respect  haben  ? " 
Leb.  ID,  143.  Locafocos — Wahl.  II,  345,  n.  "Spleen  and  Blue  Devils — 
gedeihen  wenigstens  da  nicht ;  selbst  John  Bull  muesste  aus  der  Art  schlagen," 
S.  u.  N.  I,  197.  Care  the  Devil — "Mit  echt  kentuckischer  'Care  the  Devil' 
Miene,"  CB.  14,253.  Translated  Leb.  11,  263,  "Mit  ihren  kuemmere  niich 
den  Teufel  Mienen."  Savs^der — "  Wenn  es  ihm  (dem  Jankee)  daran  zu  thun 
ist,  einem  guten  Freunde  'Sawder'  in  die  Augen  zu  streuen,"  CB.  15,  254. 

2.  Idiomatic  phrases. 

The  Whole  Hog — "  Jefferson  brach  ihre  Apostel,  die  Hamiltons  und  Adams, 
ging  'the  whole  hog'  mit  ihnen,"  CB.  14,179.  "Let's  go  the  whole  hog  ! 
eine  etwas  vulgaere  Hinterwaeldlerphrase  ;  will  soviel  sagen  als  'zur  Haupt- 
sache,'  "  Leb.  9,  92.  "  The  Whole  Hog=:ad  hominem,  durchgreifend,  scharf," 
S.  u.  N.  II,  97.  By  a  long  Chalk — "  Ueberbietet,  sag'  ich,  den  Sea-islands 
(cotton)  by  a  long  chalk,"  CB.  15.  Hand  and  Glove — "To  show  how  '  hand 
and  glove  '  they  were  with  the  imperial  interest,"  Austria,  p.  32.  "  Waret  ja 
noch  gestern  '  hand  and  glove,'  "  Wahl.  II,  307.  Take  it  Cooly  (coolly) — CB. 
15,  168.  Matter  of  Fact — "  Nun  ihr  seid  sonderbare  '  matter  of  fact'  leute," 
Leb.  9,  80.  Milk  of  Human  Kindness — "  .  .  den  unendlichen  Reichthum  ihrer 
Guete  und  was  wir  milk  of  human  kindness  nennen,"  CB.  15,  379.  Misses  in 
ihren  Teens — "  Wir  stehen  und  schwatzen  wie  '  Misses  in  ihren  Teens,'  " 
S.  u.  N.  Ill,  382.  Love  at  First  Sight — "Aber  bei  euch  Soldaten  ist  ja  '  love 
at  first  sight '  herkoemmlich,"  CB.  15,  285.  I  won't — "  Sie  sprach  dann  lachend 
und  mit  ihrem  kleinen  Fusse  stamptend,  ein  '  I  won't,'  "  Leb.  10,  107.  With 
a  Vengeance — "  Gastfreundschaft  with  a  vengeance,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  15S. 
Would-be — "Auch  uns  fehlt  es  nicht  an  would-be  Caesars,"  Leb.  9,  189.  Some- 


29 

times  an  English  clause  is  inserted  as  follows  :  "  Charaktere,  wie  die  des  Caleb 
der  Houglasse,  des  Guy  Mannering,  des  Antiquary,  finden  sie  '  with  due  allow- 
ance for  the  difference  of  the  times,'  noch  heutigen  Tages  in  England  und 
Schottland,"  Mor.  7,  Introd.  15.  "  Und  die  Flagge  der  Republik  (Mexiko) 
wallte  schuetzend  ueber  '  Brandy,  Whisky,  und  Accomodation  for  Man 
and  Beast  '  herab,"  CB.  14,  27. 

3.  A  great  variety  of  other  words  have  been  retained,  untrans- 
lated; some  are  technical  terms,  some  idiomatic,  others  eminently 
characteristic : 

Go  between — "Die  'go  between'  Jacquito,"  S.  u.  N.  152.  Airs — "  Wir 
erlauben  nicht  leicht,  oder  vielmehr  nie,  Fremden  sich  in  unserem  Lande 
'  airs  '  zu  geben,"  Leb.  9,  259.  Leading  Character — "Du  weisst,  Tante  ist 
ein  '  leading  character,'  "  Leb. 9,81.  Escapes — "  Seine  haarbreiten  '  escapes  '  " 
(hairbreadth  escapes),  NA.  I,  185.  Second  Thoughts — "  Keinen  Verdacht, 
keine  '  second  thoughts,'  wie  wir  sie  zu  nennen  pflegen,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  309. 
Second  Sight — "  Seherblick  der  Hochschotten,"  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  157.  Circula- 
ting Medium — "  Nur  dass  sie  nicht  ueberfluessig  mit  dam  'circulating 
medium  '  gesegnet,  auch  ohne  Scrips  kamen  ;  uebrigens  nichts  weniger  als 
empfindsame  Jorickreisende,"  CB.  14,  29.  Simpleton — "  mich  fuer  einen  jener 
Simpletons  nehmen,"  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  142.  Godsend — "  Wir  wurden  wie  eine 
Art  'Godsends'  (Gottesgaben)  begruesst,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  49.  Sneer — '  Um  die 
schlafE  herab  hangenden  Lippen  zuckt  ein  Ueberrest  des  brittischen  Sneer," 
Wahl.  II,  24.  Shrewd — "  Ein  blatternarbiges  Gesicht  (Henry  Clay),  graue 
scharfgeschnittene  Augen  voU  tueckischen  Feuers,  bezeichnen  den  'shrewd  ' 
verschlagenen  und  in  der  Auswahl  seiner  Mittel  nichts  weniger  als 
delikateu  Mann,"  NA.  I,  26.  High  Glee — "  Wir  waren  alle,  wie  wir  sagen,  in 
'high  Glee,'"  Leb.  10,  91.  Squeamishness — "  Begannen  Symptome  jener 
'  Squeamishness '  heranzubrechen,  mit  der  Neptun  diejenigen  heimzusuchen 
pflegt,  die  seiner  Herrschaft  spottend,  Ceres  u.  Bacchus  allzu  freigebig 
opfern,"  Wahl.  II,  25.  Fastidiousness  —  "  Frei  von  aller  Fastidiousness," 
Leb.  10,  237.  Chuckling,  Coaxing— S.  u.  N.  11,85.  Touchy — "  empfindlich," 
S.  u.  N.  I,  53.  Flirt — "  Dass  er  frueher  fuer  einen  losen  Vogel, — einen  des- 
peraten  'Flirt'  nennen  wir  diese  Geschoepfe,  gegolten,"  Wahl.  II,  161.  Sky- 
light— Wahl.  I,  233,  note.  Berths,  Lurch — Wahl.  II,  3.  Matrimony — "  u. 
dachte  :  Ei  die  Kaete,  die  lacht  auch  und  wohl  mag  sie,  denn  hat  Grund  und 
Fundament  zum  lachen — frisches  Blut  u.  reiches  Gut  und  alles  was  zum 
Lebenlassen  u.  Lebengeben  gehoert.  Und  sage  euch,  ei  so  sage  ich,  wo  Money 
ist,  da  gibt  es  ein  gutes  Matrimony  und  ist  Matrimony  von  alien  Moneys  das 
am  leichtesten  und  angenehmsten  erworbene,"  S.  u.  N.  II,  210. 

4.  Terms  of  address,  exclamations,  etc. 

Boys — "  Ueberraschungen,  Boys,"  CB.  15,  165.  Sweety — "  Ihr  auch  da,  auch 
ihr,  geistreicher  oder  vielmehr  geistlicher  Sweety?"  CB.  15,  165.  "Dear 
Chuckles  " — Mor.  7,  35.  Honies — "  Hochachtbare,  ehrenhafte,  tapfere,  gross- 
maechtige  honies,  honies  !  "  CB.  15,  iig. 

"  Bei  Jingo — war  das  ein  Kitt  !  "  S.  u.  N.  II,  244.     By  Jove — "  Das  gehoert, 


30 

by  Jove,  in  den  Kalender  !  "  CB.  2,  298.  "  Bless  us  !  rief  sie,  entsetzt  auf  ihren 
Ehemann  zurueckprallend,"  Leb.  10,65.  "Bless  me!  welche  Unvorsichtig- 
keit!"  CB.  15.  Well,  Well!— NA.  II,  14.  Pon  honnour!— CB.  171.  Fre- 
quent in  Morton.  "  Hist!  Hist!  Oberst  Cracker,  mahnten  niehrere,"  CB.  15. 
"  By  the  bye!   ich  bin  so  frei  von  eurer  Meinung  abzuweichen,"  CB.  15,  55. 

c. 

Sealsfield's  long  residence  among  Englishrspeaking  people 
created  in  him  what  may  be  termed  a  dual  language  consciousness 
(Sprachgefuehl).  He  leaned  more  and  more  towards  English 
expression  and  idioms,  and  this  seems  to  have  blurred  his  percep- 
tion of  the  capabilities  of  the  German  language.  The  result  is  that 
our  author  avails  himself  of  modes  of  expression  that  are  foreign 
and  revolting  to  the  German  ear.  These  usages  in  most  cases  con- 
vey no  definite  meaning  to  a  German  reader,  but  appear  bomb- 
astic and  often  ridiculous;  sometimes  the  word  in  classic  German 
prose  has  an  entirely  different  meaning  from  that  which  Seals- 
field  attaches  to  it.  An  arrangement  may  be  made  as  follows: 
(The  words  under  this  head  appear,  of  course,  in  German  type.) 

I.  Words  whose  sonorousness  has  beguiled  the  author  into 
their  use;  again,  such  as  have  no  exact  equivalent  in  German. 

Respectabel  (respectable) — "  Ihr  seid  gerade  so  respectabel,  je  nachdem 
ihr  schwer  seid,"  Leb.  10,  85.  Considerabel  (considerable,  very  great  ;  ironi- 
cal use) — "  Die  Ruhe  des  Mannes  war,  um  mich  eines  unserer  Lieblingsaus- 
druecke  zu  bedienen,  in  der  That  considerabel,"  CB.  15,  214.  Imperturbabel 
— "  Der  imperturbable  Gleichmuth,"  CB.  15,  197.  Fashionabel  (fashionable) — 
•'  Es  haengt  ganz  allein  vom  Prediger  ab,  ob  die  Englische  oder  die  Presby- 
terianische  oder  die  Methodistische  Kirche  die  fashionable  des  Ortes  sein 
soil,"  NA.  I,  129.  Desperat  (desperate) — "  Inneres  und  Aeusseres  erschienen 
desperat,"  CB.  14,  97.  Glories  (glorious) — "  Wahrlich  ein  glorioses  Volk 
dieses  Mexikanische,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  15.  Transparent  (transparent) — "Die 
unglaublich  transparente  Atmosphaere,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  199.  Inficirt  (infected) — 
"  Denn  alle  seine  Sinne  sind  so  afiScirt  und  inficirt,"  Wahl.  II,  3.  Stolid 
(stolid) — "  Ihre  stoliden  Blicke,  wie  sie  in  den  Westen  bohren,  wo  ihnen  die 
neue  Freiheit,"  etc.,  Wahl.  I,  203.  Vacuum  (vacuum) — "  Ein  langer  Traum, 
ein  Vacuum,  waehrend  dessen  ihr  nicht  gelebt,"  Wahl.  11,98.  "Mit  einem 
gutmuethigen  Vacuum  im  Gesicht,"  Wahl.  II,  332.  Dezent  (decent) — "Ich 
hake  diesen  Tanz  nichts  weniger  als  dezent,"  Leb.  12,  355.  Sensibel  (sensi- 
ble),— "  Scheint  ein  sensibler  Mann  zu  sein,"  Leb.  13,  126.  Praesumtiv — 
"  Erwiderte  der  praesumtive  Jankee,"  Leb.  9,  54  (whom  we  presumed  to  be  a 
Yankee).  Pretioes  (precious) — "Wie  heisst  dieser  pretioese  Kapitaen?" 
CB.  15,  296.  Famoes  (famous) — "  Vierzehn  Tage  nach  unserer  famoesen 
Nacht,"Leb.  9,  99.  Luffen  (luff,  hereto  move  away) — "  Koenntet  wohl  ein  wenig 
luffen,  seht  das  Weibervolk  kommt,"  Leb.  11,  221.  Doppeln  (to  double)  — 
"  Doppelten  das  Cap  Horn,"  Mor.  7,  33. 


31 

2.  Words  whose  meaning-  in  modern  German  differs  from  Seals- 
field's  use. 

Quer,  English  'queer'  (very  frequent)— "  Quer  und  calculiere  wuerde 
unseren  Maedchen  quer  anstehen  wenn  sie  mit  nichts  als  ihren  Augen  rede- 
ten,"  S.  u.  N,  II,  283;  "  Es  kam  uns  gar  so  quer  vor,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  24.  The 
correct  use  of  mod.  Germ.  '  quer' (crooked,  crosswise)  is  found  CB.  14,93: 
"Gute  siebzig  Meilen  'quer'  ueber  die  Prairie."  Palme — 'the  palm  of  the 
hand ';  in  German  always  '  the  palm-tree.'  "  Der  Miko  wird  die  Palme  seiner 
Hand  oeffnen,"  Leg.  i,  194.  Momentan — 'momentous,'  not  as  in  German 
'instant.'  "  Ein  fuer  mich  momentaner  Augenblick,"  Leb.  11,  351.  Fact 
(fact) — "  Will  nicht,  das  ist  ein  Fact,"  S.  u.  N.   II,  316;   "Und  ein   Fact  ist 

mehr  werth,  als  tausend  Argumente,"  Leb.  12,  133.     Flucht  von  Treppen 

'flight  of  stairs,'  Leb.   11,  322.     Seebriese  (seabreeze)— "  Von  jedem  Hauche 
der  Seebriese  gefaechelt,"  CB.  14,  25. 

D. 

Words  and  phrases  peculiar  to  Sealsfield,  or  used  by  him  to 
excess. 

I.  Mannerisms;  expressions  current  in  good  German  prose,  that 
through  too  frequent  use  become  objectionable. 

[The  citations  made  under  each  rubric  might  easily  be  multiplied.] 
Hielt  inne — "  Dann  schickte  er  sich  an,  den  Platz  zu  verlassen,  hielt  aber 
wieder  inne,"  Mor.  7,  55.  "  Uer  Graf  hielt  inne.fuhr  nach  einer  Pause  wieder 
fort,"  Leb.  12.  "  Und  nachdem  der  Alte  so  gesprochen,  hielt  er  wieder  inne," 
Mor.  7,  55.  '  Hielt  inne  '  is  a  mannerism  especially  objectionable  in  '  Morton  ' 
and  'Virey';  it  is  also  spread  over  the  whole  of  '  Lebensbilder.'  In  later 
works,  e.  g.  the  'Cabin  Book,'  its  use  is  not  objectionable.  In  seinen 
Grundfesten  erschuettert — "  Das  die  Balken  des  Hauses  in  sein.  Grundf. 
erschuetterte,"  Leb.  9,  95;  "  Und  so  tief  in  seiner  Grundfeste  erschuettert," 
N.\.  I,  18.  Eigen — This  word  has  two  meanings  in  Sealsfield.  i)  Eigen- 
tuemlich,  sonderbar,  peculiar :  "  Cockley  war  in  diesen  Tagen  wieder  etwas 
eigen,"  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  386;  "  Bin  ich  doch  eigen,  mich  zu  Thraenen  hinreisen  zu 
lassen,"  CB.  15,  364.  2)  Sui  generis,  unique,  e.  g.  :  "Es  ist  aber  dieser  unser 
Volksgeist  ein  ganz  eigener  Geist,"  CB.  14,  83;  "  Uass  wir  Amerikaner  eigene 
Leute  sind,"  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  333.  Both  of  these  meanings  are  used  to  excess  in 
the  earlier  works,  similarly  :  Nichts  weniger  als — "Nichts  weniger  als  haess- 
lich,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  74 ;  "...  als  angenehni,"  Leg.  2,  82  ;  "...  als  comfortabel," 
NA.  I,  13,  "...  als  zu  wuerdigen,"  Leg.  3, 113,  etc.  Schnellen — "  Bei  uns  kennt 
man  keine  Uebergaenge  ;  in  unserer  physischen,  so  wie  in  der  moralischen 
Welt,  schnellt  alles,  wie  von  einer  Federkraft  geschnellt,  empor,  zurueck,  keine 
Daemmerung,  kein  Zwielichc,"  Leb.  11,  66..  "Und  empor  schnellt  Psyche 
den  Kopf,"  Leb,  11,  41.  Prallen — "  Prallten  sie  an  den  Verwundeten  heran," 
S.  u.  N.  Ill,  32;  "Der  Sitzende  war  bei  seinem  Eintritte  aufgeprallt,"  S.  u. 
N.  Ill,  102;  "  Als  wenn  Daemonen  in  ihnen  hausten,  trieben,  prallten,"  S.  u. 
N.  II.     Bohren  (to  stare) — "Wie   sie  jetzt  in  die  Zeitungen  hinein  bohren," 


32 

Wahl.  II,  104  ;  ".  .  .  aber  diese  Huetten,  in  diese  bohren  sie  mit  einem  Verlan- 
gen,  einer  Sehnsucht  hinein,"  Wahl.  II,  107.  Quirlen — "Alles  blieb  anfaeng- 
lich  ruhig,  aber  aus  den  Zehenspitzen  schien  es  in  die  Glieder  hinauf  zu 
quirlen,"  S.  u.  N.  II,  175.  Alles  zuckt  an  ihnen — S.  u.  N.  II,  175  :  Leb.  11, 
etc.  Silbergloeckchenstimmen — Almost  all  of  Sealsfield's  women  have 
this  attribute;  cf.  S.  u.  N.  I,  205,  266;  11,15;  Leb.  12,13.  Zwanzig — 
Equivalent  to  English  'score';  used  like  the  German  '  dutzend.'  "  Beso 
los  manos  a  Ustedes,  los  pies  de  Ustedos  !  riefen  zwanzig  Stimmen  entgegen 
und  andere  zwanzig  kuessten  die  Saeume  unserer  Kleider  und  wieder  zwanzig 
bueckten  sich  bis  zur  Erde  und  nochmals  zwanzig  hoben  uns  wie  im 
Triumphe  auf  ihre  Ruecken,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  273;  "  Humbug  !  bruellten  zwanzig 
Hinterwaeldler,"Leb.  10,  36;  "  Und  wie  ging  es  euch  weiter?  fragten  zwanzig?" 
Leg.  3,  86.  Vermuthen,  kalkuliren,  etc. — "  Die  schnellste  Weise,  auf  welche 
sich  der  amerikanische  Buerger  der  verschiedenen  Staaten  zu  erkennen  giebt, 
ist  durch  den  Begriff,  ich  denke,  ich  vermuthe.  Der  Neu-englaender  vermuthet, 
guesses  ;  der  Virginier  und  Pennsylvanier  thinks,  denkt ;  der  Kentuckier  kal- 
kulirt,  calculates ;  der  Alabamer  rechnet,  berechnet,  reckons,''^  Leb.  g,  53  note. 
Sealsfield  uses  these  terms  consistently  as  explained  in  this  note. 

2.  Pet  words. 

-chen  (ironical) — "  Habt  ihr  je  ein  '  muesterchen '  von  Equinoctialstuer- 
men  erlebt  ?  "  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  429.  Nicht — '♦  Mein  Sein  und  Nichtsein  "  (Leben 
u.  Tod),  CB.  14,  96.  "  Ein  Nichtamerikaner,"  Leb.  10,  88.  "  Zwei  und  vierzig 
Tage  herumgeschleudert,  ein  Spiel  der  Wogen  u.  Winde  u.  Nichtwinde," 
Wahl.  II,  98.  -ism,  German  -ismus — "  Fanatism,"  S,  u.  N.  Ill,  465.  "Abso- 
lutism," S.  u.  N.  Ill,  153.  "Despotism,  Republicanism,"  S.  u.  N.  1,37,52. 
"  Yankeeism,  Quaeckerism,"  Leb.  9,  30.  "Americanism  war  der  Brennpunkt, 
der  alle  seine  Geistesstrahlen  aufsog,"  CB.  14,  297.  "  Utilitarianism,  Material- 
ism, Pantheism,"  Wahl.  II,  24,  25.  Goethe  uses  the  form  -ism  frequently;  cf. 
'  Briefwechsel  zw.  Schiller  u.  Goethe,'  and  elsewhere.  Erbsenwasser — fre- 
quent in  Morton ;  cf.  Mor.  7,  26.  "  So  kamen  wir  mit  einem  tuechtigen  Bade 
und  einem  Erbsenwasser-rausche  davon,"  CB.  14,  24.  Schaafzahm — "Und 
die  wildesten  (Mustangs)  werden  schaafzahm,"  CB.  14,  41. 

Provincialisms  :  Niedertraechtig — '  humble,  herablassend,'  but  in  Modern 
German  'base,  low.'  "  In  der  Art  in  welcher  Sie  sich  dem  Satrapen  naeherten, 
lag  etwas  servil  niedertraechtiges  und  wieder  abstossend  widrig  arrogantes," 
Vir.  4,  121 ;  see  also  Mor.  7,  54.  -ung  for  German  -en  (in  the  verbal  noun)  — 
"  Die  Muendigwerdww^des  jungen  Kindes,"  Vir.  4,  296.  "  Weil  diese  Erklaer- 
ung  viel  zu  viel  Schreib««^  verursachen  wuerde,"  Letter  to  Erhard,  Aug.  17, 
1847.  Bloeckt  for  German  bleckt  (cf.  strenghochdeutsch  'loeffel '  for  'leffel,' 
'ergoetzen'  for  historical  'ergetzen.')  "  Der  Schwarze  bloeckt  for  Freuden 
die  Zaehne,"  Leb.  11,  350. 

3.  Hybrid  forms. 

Nervighaertend — "Die  aromatischen  Duefte  hatten  etwas  nervighaert- 
endes,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  235.  AUenfalsig— Leb.  2,  133.  Indefinisibel—"  Johnny 
schielte  mit  einem  indefinisiblen  Blicke  nach  dera  Beutel  hin,"  CB.  14,  113. 


33 

Ebbens — "Trotz  des  Ebbens  meiner  Lebensgeister,"  CB,  14,  iii.  Quaeck- 
ernd — "Die  Hartnaeckigkeit  meines  immer  noch  stark  quaeckernden 
Freundes"  (with  a  Quaker's  peculiarities),  S.  u.  N.  I,  121.  Rindschnitt, 
Butterschnitt — "  Eine  solche  WoUust  war  mir  der  Genuss  dieses  Kind- 
schnittes,"  CB.  14,  124.  "  Er  rollte  Rindfleisch-schnitte  in  die  Butterschnitte 
zu  'Sandwiches'  zusammen,  wuerzte  diese  mit  '  praeservirten '  [preserved] 
Pflaumen  u.  Birnen  und  ass  ganz  behaglich,"  Wahl.  II,  336.  Stoa — "  Eine 
gewisse  Stoa  hat  sich  um  euch  gelegt,  euch  mit  sichfortgerissen,"  etc.,  Wahl. 

I,  218.  Rosslache  (horse-laugh) — "Und  kraft  welcher  Autoritaet,  bruellte 
der  Juengling  mit  einer  Rosslache,"  Mor.  7,  62, 

Section  II. — Sealsfield's  Sentence. 

Care,  exactness,  or  even  consistency  in  sentence-structure  can- 
not be  claimed  for  our  author.  Accordingly,  in  searching  for  the 
principles  that  underlie  Sealsfield's  style,  it  will  be  of  minor 
importance  to  dwell  on  points  of  syntax.  All  rules  of  construction 
are  constantly  violated  to  produce  new  and  strange  rhetorical 
efifects.  The  methods  employed  are  characteristic;  among  the 
more  important  are  the  following: 

a.  A  heaping  up  of  verbs  and  other  parts  of  speech  to  heighten 
tile  impression  given.  A  climax,  which  we  should  always  expect, 
is  not  everywhere  apparent.     Examples: 

"  Es  verschwindet  in  solchen  Momenten  alles  niedrige,gemeiiie  [tautology] 
so  gaenzlich,i//V  edelsteti,  die  hochherzigsten  [tautology]  Gefuehle  treteti  so  stark, 
ge-waltig  hervor,  treiben,  draengen  alles  unwuerdige  so  tief  in  den  Hintergrund 
zurueck,"  CB.  15,  235.  "Die  Maenner  mit  ihren  humblesten  Kratzfuessen, 
die  Weiber  knixend,  alle  God  bless  Massa,  Maum  schreieiid,  gellend,  bruell- 
end,''''  Leb.  11,48.  "  Gerade  wie  Schulknaben,  die  ihrem  Paedagogen  einen 
Streich  gespielt  haben,  wie  Affen  herum  schnopper7i,taenzeln,  blinzeln,''^  'L^h. 

II,  20S.  "  Hinter  ihm  drein  die  Brut  der  jungen  Squatters,  und  eine  Heerde 
hemdeloser  kleiner  Neger, — Wechselbaelge  beiderlei  Geschlechtes,  Hunde, 
Katzen,  alle  hetileiid,  sdireietid,  bellend,  die  Reiter  mit  ihren  Peitschen  knall- 
end'''  Leb.  13,  180.  [Does  'bellend'  have  the  same  subject  'alle'  as  the 
other  verbs?]  "Die  Glieder  schienen  ihm  den  Dienst  zu  versagen,  aus 
einander  sireben — reissen  zti.  wollen,  so  verrenkt,  schwankend,  iaiimelnd,  waren 
seine  Bewegungen,"  S.  u.  N.  [The  climax  is  inconsiderable,  the  construc- 
tion is  tautological.]  The  antithesis  in  the  following  is  interesting,  the  verbs 
presenting  a  climax  :  "  Zweihundert  Koepfe,  jttng  und  alt,  blond  u.  grau, 
bratm  u.  weiss,  strecken  sich  mit  den  Haelsen  ueber  die  Verdecks-seiten  hinaus, 
draengen,  treibeii,  stossen,  zwaeiigen,  um  Land  zu  schauen,"  Wahl.  II,  99. 

b.  The  use  of  superlatives.  The  author's  tendency  toward 
exaggeration,  already  noticed  in  the  Use  of  Words,  Sec.  I.,  c.  i., 
appears  more  clearly  here: 


34 

"  Nichts  weiter,  lieber  Mann,  als  euch  zeigen,  dass  diese  Normannen  diese 
ab  solute  St,  gewaltigst,  maechtigst,  /leiliosesteti  Gesellen  waren,  dieje  existirten," 
CB.  14,  215.  "  Wir  sind  das  iiuechter7iste,  reelste,  am  schae7-fsten  raison7ii7-e7ide 
u.  urthtile7ide  Volk,  ein  wahres  Roemervolk,"  Wahl.  II,  124.  ".  .  .  die  treuen 
Seelenspiegel  der  gehasstesten,  gcliebtestC7i,  gefnerchtetste7i,  /'ewit)idertste7i,  ver- 
Iaeste7-tste7i,  gesuchteste7i  Belle  unserer  Manhattenstadt,"  Wahl.  II,  153.  [The 
antithesis  in  the  last  example  is  striking.]  "  Etwas  niajestaetischeres,  eJu-furcht- 
gebiete7ideres,  laesst  sich  nicht  denken  "  (Uer  Patriarch),  CB.  14,  138,  Further 
examples  of  exaggeration  are  such  as :  "  Siedendheisses  Wasser  .  .  ." 
Leb.  10,  34;  "In  einer  Stunde  hatte  er  die  Bruderstadt  zwanzigMeilen  hinter 
sich"  (on  horseback  !),  Mor.  7,  38. 

c.  Reiteration. 

Wer  haette  damals  vorausgesagt,  dass  dieselben  verachteten  Kolonisten  ein- 
ige  zwanzig  Jahre  spaeter  ein  Reich  gruenden  wuerden,  dass  in  weniger  denn 
sechzig  Stolz  des  Menschengeschlechts  werden,  das  dem  maechtigen  Mutter- 
lande  die  Spitze  biete7i,  siegreich  zweimal  biete7i  wuerde,  nun  den  maechtigsten 
Nationen  furchtlos  bieten  koennte,  duerfte,"  CB.  14.  "Ah  haben  die  Bastion 
herab  geschossen /;a3if«,  habe7i; — meinte  der  Kapitaen,"  CB.  15,  225.  "  Wollen 
statt  dessen  euren  Liederdichtern  Stoffe  liefern,  faktische  Poesie  liefern. 
Wollai,  wollen,  7volle7i  thun,  was  die  Normannen  thaten — ivolle7t,  sag'  ich  euch, 
— nicht  gerade  auf  dieselbe  Weise,  aber  doch  etwas  aehnliches,"  CB.  14,  202. 

d.  Antithesis  is  the  most  frequent  of  all  Sealsfield's  figures  of 
speech.  A  sudden  turn  of  thought  is  very  often  met  with,  usually 
marked  by  asyndeton,  the  omission  of  connecting  particles.  The 
following  examples  supplement  tliose  already  given : 

"Die  Anwandlungen  von  Ohnmacht  meldeten  sich  haeufiger,  staerker," 
CB.  14,  78,  "Ich  schaute  auf,  um  mich,"  CB.  14,  87.  "  Es  lag  etwas  so 
graesslich  in  der  heimlichen  und  wieder  unheimlichen  Weise  in  der  er  die 
Worte  herausschnellte,"  CB.  14,  134.  "  Ich  wandte  mich  bald  schaudernd 
von,  wieder  mitleidig  zu  ihm,"  CB.  14,  134.  "  Wie  ein  Federball  prallte  sie 
an  mich  an,  ab,  wieder  an,  u.  schaute  mich  an  so  unschuldig,  u.  ihre  feurigen 
Augen  ruhten  so  schelmisch  auf  mir,"  Leb.  12,  272.  "  Und  auf  der  Hoehe 
angekommen,  werfen  die  jungen  Leute  nochmals  burschikos  die  Koepfe  auf, 
schiessen  in  zehn  Richtun^en  bin — her — vor — zurueck — drehen  sich  ; — nut 
Luitgarde  war  sinnend  am  Abhange  stehen  geblieben,"  Wahl.  I,  63. 

e.  The  use  of  the  infinitive  in  elliptical  sentences,  as  below,  is 
common  in  Sealsfield;  it  is  an  English  construction. 

"Die  Maenner,  mich  zu  ersehen,  Oberst  !  James  !  zu  schreien,  ans  Ufer  zu 
springen,  wir  ihnen  entgegen  ;  das  war  eines,"  Leb.  13,407.  "  Lacalle  mich 
zu  erschauen  u.  mit  dem  lauten  Rufe  :  Vive  le  Roi !  le  Roi  ne  meurt  pas  !  —  vom 
Pferde  auf  die  Porch  zu  springen,  mit  einem  zweiten  Satze  durch  das  Fenster, 
etc.,  .  .  .  construction  continues  for  eleven  lines  .  .  .  das  alles  war  Schneller 
gethan,  als  gesagt,"  Leb.  13,  208. 


35 

f.  The  participle,  present  and  past,  is  very  flexible  in  Sealsfield's 
hands : 

"  Der  lieb  seyn  sollende  oder  ivoUendc  Schwiegerpapa,  will  seine  Wettverlusten 
mit  meiner  Baumwolle  wieder  ausgleichen,"  Leb.  9,  20.  "Mexiko — diese 
sein  wollende  Republik,"  Leb.  9,  204.  "  Sein  muehsam  erraftes  u,  so  gleich- 
sam  in  seine  Existenz  verwachsenes — oder  auch  begruenden  sollendes  Anfangs- 
kapital,"  CB.  14,  308,  "  Die  ewig  uiii kerschnoppernden,  zerrissenen,  mit  sich 
selbst  verfalUnen  Affen,"  S.  u,  N.  II,  196. 

g.  Uninflected  adjective  used  adverbially. 

"  Es  war  ein  luild  schoetier,  scJiauerlicher  Anblick,"  Leg.  3,  90.  "  Ich  finde 
in  deiner  Liebe  etwas  unliebsam  undelikates,^''  CB.  15,  307.  "Ein  Gesicht,  das 
considerab€l,\-i.  reviarquabcl  schoen  ist,"  S.  u.  N.  Ill,  377.  "Ein  considerabel 
probates  Sprichwort,"  CB.  14,  59.  "  Sind  considerabel  tolerabel,  die  Cigarren," 
CB.  14,  268. 

h.  The  use  of  a  series  of  numerals,  apparently  to  mark  succes- 
sive stages  of  development;  the  realistic  effect  aimed  at  is  not 
realized : 

"  Kamen  zwei  weibliche  Gestalten  ueber  die  Thuerschwelle  herein  geflogen, 
dann  eiiie  oder  drei  oder  seeks  oder  zwoelf—e'in  Kranz  von  Gestalten,"  S.  u.  N. 
1,260.  "  Zum  erstenmale  liessen  sich  auch  Stimmen  hoeren,  eine — zwei — 
drei  Stimmen,"  S.  u.  N.  I,  201.  "Ein  Neger  erschlagen  !  bruellte  es  nach 
einander  aus  zwei,ficenf,  zehn,  Z7v ans ig  und  endlich  /itmdert  Kehlen  und  darauf 
ein  Laufen,  ein  Rennen,  ein  Gepolter,  Getrampel,"  etc.,  Leb.  10,  15. 

i.  Certain  peculiar  modes  of  expression.  The  dative  of  possessor 
(this  is  found  only  in  the  early  works): 

"  /?osa  ihr  Gesicht  mit  ihrem  Tuche  verhuellt,"  Leg.  i,  74.  Als  =  English  as, 
conjunction.  "  Selbst  im  Staate  New  York  hatten  sich  Kloester  erhoben  und 
das  so  schnell  und  offenbar  mit  so  gewaltigen  Mitteln,  als  Befremden  u. 
Staunen  erregte,"  CB.  14,  36.  "  Uns  die  Sache  aus  einem  Gesichtspunkt 
darzustellen,  der  bald  unserm  Stolz  als  Patriotismus  aufstachelte,"  CB.  14,  37. 
Diese  (used  in  a  patriarchal  and  explanatory  tone,  see  Sec.  Ill;  this  use  not 
infrequent  in  German).  "Und  hatten  wir  nichts  %t.%^Vi  diese  ihre  Meinung," 
Leb.  13,  147.  "  Er  bequemte  sich  jedoch — zu  diesem  seinem  Loose,"  Wahl.  II, 
164.  Vonwegefi  (used  as  '  diese '  above).  "  Wollen  es  aber  nicht  so  genau 
nehmen,  von  wegen,  calculire  ich,  weil  ihr  Fremdlinge  seid,"  Leb.  13,  348. 
Urn  (as  above):  "  Es  ist  ein  schoenes  Ding  ^lm  einen  Creolenball,"  Leb.  12, 
354.  "  Es  ist  doch  einzig  wn  die  Religion  ;  sie  ist  doch  das  Band,  das  Wesen 
und  Wesen  an  einander  verknuepft,"  Leb.  13,  34S.  An  (incorrectly  placed  at 
end  of  sentence) — "  Erst  dann  fing  etwas  wie  Instinkt  zu  zeigen  a«,"  Leb. 
13.  3S7. 


36 

Section  III. — "Die  Sprache  der  Personen." 

Sealsfield  in  the  introduction  to  '  Lebensbilder,'  Vol.  7,  17,  says 
of  his  own  art:  "  Ich  halte  ueberhaupt  wenig-  von  Nachahmung, 
Nach  meiner  Ansicht  muss  die  Natur  des  Gegenstandes,  den  wir 
behandeln,  audi  die  Form  und  Weise  der  Behandhmg  bedingen, 
die  Darstellung  muss  naturgemaess,  so  viel  als  moegHch  natuerlich 
sein.  Und  nach  diesem  Grundsatze  bin  ich  meinen  eigenen  Weg 
gegangen."  These  efforts  at  reaHstic  representation  were  not  con- 
fined to  the  general  plan  and  development  of  his  work,  they  are 
also  apparent  in  the  author's  language.  American  dialects  are 
represented  by  an  artificial  German  dialect;  characteristic  individ- 
uals among  Sealsfield's  heroes  speak  in  a  language  peculiarly 
adapted  to  them.  Since  they  always  talk  in  their  own  manner, 
they  are  at  once  brought  before  our  minds  more  vividly  than  if 
the  author  had  attempted  to  write  uniformly  '  good  German.'  In 
the  eyes  of  contemporaries  such  '  dialect  of  individuals '  was  a 
serious  defect  of  style;  and  Goetzinger  had  reference  to  it  when 
he  wished  to  correct  "die  Sprache  der  Personen."  This  artistic 
product,  however,  is  the  most  original  and  interesting  feature  of 
Sealsfield's  style;  as  such,  it  will  require  special  attention.  The 
most  important  examples  of  these  artificial  German  dialects  will 
be  treated  in  order. 

I.  Negro  Speech. — The  following  comment  on  the  speech  of 
the  American  negro  is  found  at  Leb.  12,  272:  "Es  ist  ihnen  viel- 
leicht  nicht  unbekannt,  dass  der  Neger  und  selbst  jene  Farbigen, 
deren  Blut  mehrere  male  mit  dem  europaeischen  gekreuzt  ist, 
unserer  Sprache  selten  maechtig  sind,  und  das  Zeitwort  nie  gehoe- 
rig  anzubringen  wissen.  Ihre  Sprache  ist  in  der  That  mehr  abge- 
brochenes  Kindergeplauder  und  klingt  unangenehm  in  den  Oh- 
ren."  This  '  children's  prattling '  Sealsfield  uniformly  reproduces 
by  short  and  broken  sentences,  bad  grammar,  wrong  gender,  and 
by  the  use  of  one  mood,  the  infinitive,  for  all  verbs,  e.  g. : 

"Was,  kleine  Gentleman  nicht  artig  gewesen  sein  !  Fy  !  der  Schande  !  ruft 
Taby,  '  kleine  Gentleman  doch  sonst  artig  sein.'  '  Yis  Maum,'  versichert  Dinah 
mit  aller  moeglichen  Affektation,  'sonst  ganz  Gentleman  seyn,  er  so  artig 
sein,  aber  ich  ihm  heute  sagen  :  Viti,  Viti  !  heute  nicht  mit  Sulla  (the  dog) 
spielen.  Er  sagen,  '  Yis  Maum.  Ich  ihm  die  neuen  Hosen  anziehen,  und 
ihm' — die  Neger  haben  lauter  ihms — '  in  einer  halben  Stunde  darauf  sich  mit 
Marius  im  Kothe  herum  balgen.  Ich  ihm  sagen,  Viti  kein  Gentleman  seyn, 
er  sagen  '  damn  your  eyes  Maum  ?  Viti  nicht  mit  Sulla,  Viti  mit  Marius 
(other  dog)  spielen,'  "  Leb.  ii,  i6.     Cf.  Leb,  ii,  50  f. 


37 

2.  Creole  Dialect. — The  speech  of  the  Creoles,  a  mixture  of 
French  and  English,  becomes  a  combination  of  French  and  Ger- 
man, similar  to  the  jargon  of  Riccaut  de  la  Marliniere  in  '  Minna 
von  Barnhelm/ 

"  Ah,  Misthere  Doughby,  sie  sagen,  ein  festes  Gouvernment  sollen  wir 
haben  ;  Plut  au  Dieu  !  Dasselbe  aber  haben  gesagt  viele  vor  ihnen,  und  doch 
haben  wir  nicht  gehabt,  werden  nicht  haben,  ein  festes  Gouvernment,"  Leb. 
II,  251  f. 

3.  The  Pennsylvania-German  Dialect.—  Although  not 
found  frequently  in  Sealsfield's  works,  the  conscious  imitation  of 
this  dialect  shows  that  the  author  in  his  own  judgment  placed  his 
own  style  infinitely  above  it. 

"  Und  hab'  ich  gekonsidert,  dass  wenn  ich  zur  Law  geh,  ich  fuer  die  Fees 
zwei  andere  Lots  portschessen  kann  und  derofern  hab'  ich  mit  Mr.  L.  '  gesch- 
waetzt,'  er  soil  den  Lot  ganz  haben.  Ich  hab  wohl  die  Notion  gehabt,  er  wird 
ihn  nicht  umsonst  hintecken,  und  so  war  es  auch  well.  Mr.  L.  gab  mir  nun  50 
Dollar  freiwillig  heraus,  und  der  Lawyer  wollte  for  Bile  aus  der  Haut  fahren ; 
das  trubelte  nich  aber  nicht,"  NA.  II,  29. 

4.  Swiss  German. 

"  Ihr  Strolche  und  Uondershageln  ihr  !  Glauben  schier  gar,  ihr  haent  euch 
s'Fischli,  usm  See  schmecke  lo  !  Ihr  Uondershageln  ihr!  Aber  zu  den 
schoenen  Maidlis  sagten  sie  schon  anders ;  denen  sagten  sie  :  '  Seyd  ja  a  gar 
schoens  Maidli  ihr  !  '  Sagten  die  Maidlis  darauf :  '  Isch  nuet  so  gar  wichtig,'  " 
Wahl.  I,  20,  etc. 

5.  Spreadeagleism. — When  reproducing  the  American  stump- 
speech  in  German,  Sealsfield  preserves  all  of  its  characteristics;  it 
is  bombastic,  colloquial,  incoherent,  and  abounds  in  the  bold 
figures  and  asseverations  of  Jacksonian  English. 

"  Ei  brauchen  Maenner — die  sich  nicht  von  der  Ministration  einen  blauen 
Dunst  vor  Augen  machen  lassen,  sondern  unsere  angebornen  Souveraenitaets- 
rechte  vertheidigen.  Mag  ich  erschossen  sein,  wenn  ich  einen  Zoll  breit 
weiche,ei  (=:English  aye),  nicht  dem  Besten  ;  vorausgesetzt,  Jungens,  ihr  beehrt 
mich  mit  eurem  Vertrauen  und — ja  eben  das  muesst  ihr,  sonst,"  Leb.  9,  91. 
"  Ua  haben  sie  einen  Ginral  Tariff 'angestellt,  dereiner  der  tollsten  Aristokraten 
ist,  der  je  lebte.  Und  der  hat  ein  Gesetz  passirt,  in  Folge  dessen  wir  nicht 
mehr  mit  dem  Britten  Handel  treiben  sollen.  Jeden  Strumpf,  jeden  Messer- 
stiel  hat  der  verhenkerte  Aristokrat  mit  einem  Einfuhrszoll  belegt.  Wo  sollen 
wir  nun  Flanelle  hernehmen?"  Leb.  9,  93.  See  also  Leb.  11,  chapter  IV, 
'•  Der  Stumpf-Redner." 

'  The  '  General  Tariff'  the  speaker  takes  to  be  a  General  by  the  name  of  '  Tariff'  and  a  terrible 
aristocrat. 


38 

6.  The  Speech  of  Individual  Characters.— Nathan  der 
Squatter  Regulator.  His  language  is  characterized  by  extreme 
simplicity  and  earnestness;  it  explains,  repeats,  narrates,  and  gives 
counsel  in  simple,  unadorned  sentences;  it  is  a  patriarchal  tone. 
(For  technic,  see  Sec.  II,  i;  the  normal  word-order  is  also  often 
changed.) 

"  Habt  ihr  nie  das  Saatkorn  beobachtet,  wenn  ihr  es  ausgesaeet  in  die 
befruchtende  Erde  ?  Nie  Acht  gegeben,  wie  dieses  Saatkorn,  das  mehrere  ZoU 
tief  in  die  Erde  geworfen,  mit  einer  Schichte  ueberdeckt  wird,  die,  hundert 
Mai  schwerer  als  das  winzige  Saatkorn,  es  mit  ihrem  Gewichte  erdruecken 
sollte  ?  Thut  es  aber  dieses?  1st  es  im  Stande  das  winzige  Saatkorn  zu 
ersticken,  zu  erdruecken  ?  So  wenig,  dass  das  winzige  Ding  ruhig,  gemaech- 
lich  seine  Keime  hervorschiesst,  sich  Bahn  bricht  durch  die  Erdschollen, 
und  hervor  dringt  ans  Tageslicht,  die  Last  wegschiebt,  und  siegendueber  die 
Scholle  heraufwaechst  und  das  todte  Gewicht.  Habt  ihr  das  nie  bemerkt  ? 
.  ,  .  wie  das  Waelschkorn  den  Klumpen  so  spielend  zerreisst,  und  sich 
auf  alien  Seiten  durchzwingt,  und  die  schwere  Last  weghebt  ?  Will  euch 
sagen,  sind  wir  die  Waelschkoerner,  und  ist  Louisiana  die  befruchtende  Erde, 
und  cure  spanische  Regierung  der  todte  Klumpen,  die  Last,  die  ueber  der 
keimenden  Saat  liegt,  und  sie  gerne  am  Wachsen  verhindern  wuerde,  wenn 
sie  koennte,"  Leb.  13,  294.  "Wohl  Mann  !  und  wenn  der  allmaechtig  truebe 
Mississippi  oben  unser  Land  weggefuehrt,  und  wie  der  Baer  die  Sau  verzehrt, 
und  darueber  dick  und  schmutzig  geworden,  und  diesen  Schlamm  wieder 
ausgeworfen — so  wie  der  Baer  auswirft,  was  stinkt  und  schmutzig  ist,  wem 
gehoert  der  Auswurf  ?  Asa,  sage  mir  das  !  Sage  ich — wem  anders  ;  als  dem, 
dem  der  Baer  gehoert,  und  der  Baer  gehoert  der  nicht  dem,  in  dessen  Lande  er 
ist?  Sage  mir  das,  Asa,  sag'  ich,  gehoert  der  Baer,  der  Mississippi  nicht 
uns  ?'  '  Das  behaupte  ich  auch,  sagt  Asa,  und  wollte  ihn  sehen,der  da  anders 
sagte.  Wollte  ihm  die  fuenf  Knoechel  in  die  Weichen  druecken,  dass  ihm 
die  Lust  verginge.'  '  Und  wenn  der  Mississippi  unser  ist,  und  unser  Land 
verzehrt,  gehoert  nicht  sein  Auswurf  auch  uns,  und  haben  wir  nicht  das  Recht 
auf  diesen  Auswurf  ?  Sage  ich  ;  ein  so  gutes  Recht  und  besseres  Recht,  als 
die  Frenchers  u.  Spanier  -haben,  sage  ich,"  Leb.  13,  75.  [This  argument  was 
used  in  Congress  to  justify  the  annexation  of  Louisiana.] 

In  Leb.  13,  chap.  Ill,  '  Die  Geschichte  des  Blutigen  Block- 
hauses,'  the  struggles  and  sufferings  of  the  pioneers  Asa,  Nathan 
and  Rachel  (the  most  typical  of  Sealsfield's  women)  are  told  in  the 
same  patriarchal  style,  and  the  tone  is  almost  like  that  of  a  story 
from  the  Old  Testament.  Whenever  Sealsfield  desires  to  produce 
by  means  of  language  the  effect  of  excitement  or  passion,  the 
omission  of  the  subject  of  a  verb  or  of  pronouns  becomes  more 
frequent;  verbs  are  placed  at  the  beginning  of  the  sentence;  the 
normal  word-order  is  set  aside;  short  words  and  broken  sentences 
with  frequent  repetitions  abound. 


39 

The  Alcalde. —  He  usually  speaks  in  a  slow  and  dignified 
strain,  narrative  and  didactic,  but  lacking  the  simplicity  and  natur- 
alness of  Nathan's  speech. 

CB.  14,  1S3  :  "  Leider  artet  auch  das  Beste  aus  ;  das  herrlichste,  frischeste 
Wasser  geraeth  in  Faeulniss,  wenn  es  lange  in  traeger  Ruhe  stagnirt,"  etc. 

Compare  with  this  a  passage  on  the  following  page,  p.  184, 
where  the  Alcalde  is  aroused: 

"  Er  sprach  mit  entschiedener  beinahe  strenger  Stimme  :  '  Bin  ein  Mann, — 
ein  Mann,  versteht  ihr  ?  und  ist  der  erste  Herzog  u.  Lord  u.  Peer  auch  nicht 
mehr,  und  der  russische  Kaiser  auch  nicht  mehr  ; — und  ist  Alles,  was  er  seyn 
kann,  wenn  er  ein  Mann  ist.  Bin  ein  Mann  der  Bewegung,  ein  Prinzipmann. 
Und  war  Napoleon,  so  lange  er  ein  Mann,  ein  Prinzipmann  blieb,  Herr  der 
halben  Welt,  und  hoerte  auf  Herr  zu  sein,  wie  eraufhoerte  ein  Mann  zu  sein, 
ein  grundsatzloser  Schw'aechling,  ein  falsches  Weib  wurde.'  " 

Another  example  of  the  change  into  the  impassioned  mode  of 
expression  is  found  at  C.  B.  15,  286.  It  is  a  dialogue  between  the 
young  General  j\Iorse  and  his  uncle,  who  tries  to  persuade  his 
nephew  into  the  hopelessness  of  his  love  for  Alexandrine.  The 
uncle  is  at  first  cool  and  collected,  his  sentences  correct  and  witty; 
but  when  he  sees  what  little  efifect  they  are  producing,  he  becomes 
excited  and  enraged.     The  technic  mentioned  above  is  employed. 

Ralph  Doughby  (Leb.)  and  the  Kentuckian  Cockley  (S. 

u.  N.)  who  are  '  hot-blooded  Southrons,'  speak  habitually  in  the 
impassioned  tone. 

"  Pah,  sag'  ich,  es  ist  nichts,  wollen  nicht  wettrennen  mit  dem  George  Wash- 
ington—wollen  bios  sehen,  welches  Schiff  schneller  geht.  'Das  darf  nicht 
sein,  ich  protestire,  die  Sicherheit  unserer  Mitbuerger,  unsere  eigene — wenn 
der  Kessel  springt?'  Pah,  Sicherheit  unserer  Mitbuerger,  sag'  ich,  unsere 
Mitbuerger  sind  in  Sicherheit.  Wollen  kein  Wettrennen,  Mister  Warren,  sage 
ich,  wollen  bios  einen  Augenblick  sehen,  welches  Schiff  schneller  geht,"  Leb. 
10,  149. 

Similarly,  the  mode  of  speech  of  Bob,  the  murderer,  cf  CB.  14, 
129,  is  to  represent  his  terrible  pangs  of  conscience. 

Section  IV. — General  Remarks  on  Sealsfield's  Style. 

I.  Recapitulation. — Section  I,  A — "  English  words  given  gram- 
matical gender  and  printed  in  German  type  " —  discloses  the 
details  of  Sealsfield's  plan,  'to  accustom  his  German  readers  to 
the  utterances  of  the  Great  Republic'     Section  I,  C,  and  Section 


40 

II,  e,  f,  g,  illustrate  Sealsfield's  method  of 'writing  English  with 
German  words,'  ("  ich  schrieb  mit  deutschen  Worten  englisch") 
and  the  unhappy  results  which  were  in  this  way  too  often  brought 
about. 

Sec.  Ill:  "Die  Sprache  der  Personen"  has  to  do  with  our 
author's  greatest  artistic  effort.  His  object  was  to  give  to  his 
original  characters  a  language  as  near  as  possible  to  their  natural 
mode  of  expression.  Here  as  well  as  in  the  divisions  just  cited, 
all  serves  to  produce  the  greatest  possible  realistic  effect.  Sec.  II, 
a,  b,  c,  d,  e,  f,  g,  h,  illustrates  Sealsfield's  straining  after  rhetorical 
effects.     The  evils  of  this  tendency  were  also  exemplified. 

It  appears  from  the  present  study  that  two  principles  are  most 
prominent  in  their  operation  upon  Sealsfield's  style;  they  are  his 
efforts,  i)  at  realistic  and  2)  at  rhetorical  effect.  No  models  of 
German  prose  restrain  the  operation  of  these  laws.  The  capabili- 
ties a7td  genhis  of  the  English  language  alotie  are  taken  as  a  guide. 

Sec.  I,  D,  "  Mannerisms  and  new  word-formations,"  and  Sec. 
II.,  i,  might  be  used  as  criteria  to  determine  from  internal  evidence 
whether  or  not  a  given  work  of  unknown  authorship  was  written 
by  Sealsfield.  Such  aids  may  become  necessary  in  future  invest- 
igations. 

2.  The  Development  of  Sealsfield' s  Style. — The  great  rapidity 
with  which  the  author  seems  to  have  sketched  his  plots  and 
written  out  his  works  without  subsequent  revision,  has  brought 
about  frequent  errors  in  the  construction  and  word-order  of  his 
sentences,  e.  g. : 

"Ich  fand  in  einer  Tasse  schwarzen  Kaffee,  morgens  genommen,  und  in 
baumwollenen  Hemden,  ein  sicheres  Bevvahrungsmittel,  und  huetete  niich  sorg- 
faeltig  Wasser  zu  trinken,  das  mir  verdaechtig  schien,"  NA.  II,  43.  "Sie 
denken  also  er  '  sollte  mir  haben '  ein  Zimmerchen  in  der  Naehe  der  Cathe- 
drale,  etc.,  anweisen  lassen"  (for  liaette  mir  solien),  Leg.  3,  44. 

Such  examples  might  be  multiplied;  some  will  be  found  in 
passages  already  quoted.  It  is  important  to  notice,  however,  that 
the  number  of  such  errors  steadily  decreases  as  tlie  author  advances 
in  his  art  during  the  twenty  years  of  his  authorship;  what  appear 
to  be  errors  in  later  works  have  been  shown  to  be  part  of  Seals- 
field's  design.  Again,  inelegancies,  so  frequent  in  earlier  works, 
occur  less  frequently  at  later  periods.     Cf .  Leb.  9,  44 : 

"  Im  Urawing-room  sass  Margaretli,  eine  frische  Novelle  vcrdaiiend.''''  "  Der 
Juengling    selling   eine  cntsetzlicke  Lache  auf,    eine    kurze,    aber   etnpoerende 


41 

Lache,''  etc.,  Mor.  7,  61,  "  Und  kraft  welcher  Autoritaet  bruellte  der  Juengling 
tnit  einer  I^osslac/ie,'"  Mor.  7,  62. 

The  '  laughing  hero '  is  happily  banished  from  the  latest  books 
of  our  author.  From  the  examples  cited  in  Sec.  I,  it  is  evident 
that  the  percentage  of  eccentric  word-usages  is  greater  for  Seals- 
field's  earlier  works.  The  mannerisms  under  D,  Sec.  I,  disappear 
largely,  thougli  not  altogether,  at  later  periods.  The  early  works 
are  '  Nordamerika,'  '  Virey,'  '  Morton.'  The  highest  development 
of  the  author's  style  is  to  be  found  in  the  '  Cajuetenbuch '  and  in 
'  Wahlverwandtschaften.'  The  first  two  volumes  oi  '  Lebensbilder ' 
belong  to  the  early  period,  the  last  three  mark  the  transition  from 
the  early  to  the  late  type.  '  Sueden  und  Norden/  though  published 
latest  of  all  Sealsfield's  works,  does  not  rank  so  high.  Its  style  is 
that  of  a  journal  revised  for  publication.  Sealsfield's  '  ]\Iexicani- 
sches  Tagebuch  '  dates  back  to  1828. 

3.  The  Journalist. — The  earliest  works  of  Sealsfield,  'Nordame- 
rika '  and  'Austria  As  It  Is,'  reveal  no  distinctively  literary  ambi- 
tion, but  a  journalist  of  the  highest  standing  would  not  have  felt 
ashamed  of  such  performances.  They  give  us  news  and  facts  that 
cost  a  vast  amount  of  labor  and  expense  to  collect,  and  present 
them  in  a  simple,  intelligible  style.  'Austria  As  It  Is  '  lays  bare  the 
schemes  of  Mettemich  and  the  intricacies  of  court  scandals  appar- 
ently unknown  before.  The  book  is  a  wonderful  journalistic  feat. 
Sealsfield  says  of  Randolph,  NA.,  I,  54: 

"  Seine  Charakterschilderungen  sind  treffend  und  er  zeigt  hierbei  weder 
Schonung  noch  Delikatesse."  * 

This  may  be  applied  to  Sealsfield  as  well,  especially  to  the  two 
books  under  consideration,  e.  g.,  Austria,  p.  112  (description  of 
Emperor  Francis  I.  of  Austria): 

"Let  your  eyes  descend  on  a  frame  most  loosely  hung  together,  legs  on 
which  four  consorts  have  scarcely  left  an  ounce  of  flesh,  and  boots  dangling 
about  a  pair  of  equally  ill-provided  feet, — and  you  have  the  descendant  of 
nineteen  emperors  and  the  present  sovereign  of  Austria."  Again,  "  Unser 
Ideal  im  Norden  ist  Jacob,  der  Esau  um  das  Kecht  der  Erstgeburt,  und  Laban 
urn  seine  Schafe  betrog,  und  doch  ein  f rommer  Mann  war.  Und  in  dieser  Aehn- 
lichkeit,  etc.,  finden  wir  den  Schluessel  zur  innigen  Anhaenglichkeit  an  einen 
so  vollendeten  Charakter,  als  Adams,"  NA.  I,  51.  "  Der  Teufel  hole  die  eine 
Partei  und  seine  Grossmutter  die  Andere  "  Shakespeare.  (On  the  political 
parties  in  the  U.  S.),  Leb.  11,  215. 

Such  keen  characterization  may  be  due  to  his  work  as  a 
journalist. 


42 

4-  Richness  of  Sealsfield's  Style. — The  charm  of  our  author's 
style  consists  in  the  frequent  use  of  similes.  They  flow  natu- 
rally from  the  mouth  of  the  speaker ;  they  add  to  our  knowledge 
of  his  daily  habits,  surroundings,  or  the  locality  from  which  he 
comes,  e.  g. : 

"  Hatte  er  aber  einmal  einen  Entschluss  gefasst,  dann  folgte  die  That  so 
unaufhaltsam  sicher,  wie  der  Schall  der  Flamme  aus  dem  Rohre  seines  Stut- 
zers,"  Leb.  13,  350.  "Um  welche  (Acadier  und  Creolen)  sie  sich  aber  so 
wenig  kuemmerten,  wie  er  das  Summen  der  Mosquitos  im  letzten  October- 
viertel,"  Leb.  12,  203,  "Was  will  nun  dieser  alter  Graf,  der  sich  wie  ein  alter 
vermoderter  Cottonbaum  von  der  frischen  Weinranke  umfangen  laesst,"  Leb. 
I3>  379-  "  Als  wir  in  Trinity  wieder  einstiegen,  merkte  ich  wohl,  dass  der 
Miss  Emilia  meine  Gesellschaft  schier  so  angenehm  war,  wie  unseren  Gaeulen 
die  Polkatzen,  oder  unsern  Negern  die  Hetzpeitsche,"  Leb.  10,  157.  "  Er- 
laubt  mir  euch  einen  so  wackern  Jungen  aufzufuehren,  als  je  in  seinen  eigenen 
Schuhen  stand  u.  der  wahrlich  mehr  Blut  im  kleinen  Finger  hat,  als  ein  Pferd 
schwemmen  koennte,"  Leg.  3,  244. 

American  proverbs  and  mottos  are  very  numerous  in  Sealsfield's 
works.  A  special  chapter  should  be  devoted  to  the  author's  fre- 
quent allusions  to  '  national  characteristics.'  The  justice  with  which 
he  criticises  national  customs  and  types,  dealing  out  praise  and 
blame  impartially,  has  won  him  the  name  of  '  the  cosmopolitan.' 
A  special  chapter  should  likewise  be  given  to  Sealsfield's  numerous 
and  interesting  'American  local  hits.'  His  thorough  sympathy 
with  American  life  has  enabled  him  to  produce  touches  that  would 
seem  beyond  the  reach  of  a  foreigner;  e.  g.: 

CB.  1j5,  206  (Even  the  Almighty  must  obey  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States),  "Ich  schaute  ihn  erstannt  an — der  Mann  war  auf  einmal  soausser 
sich  gerathen.  Es  fehlte  nicht  viel,  dass  er  es  unconstitutionell  in  Gott  gefun- 
den  haette,  Bob  nicht  zu  begnadigen."  The  American  law-abiding  citizen; 
Wahl.  II,  347  :  "Das  Rom  ist  das  nicht  die  Stadt,  von  der  in  meinem  Buche 
steht,  weisst  du,  dass  Romulus  den  Remus  erschlug,  seinen  Bruder,  um  allein 
Koenig  zu  sein  ?  Was  fuer  eine  Gottlosigkeit,  seinen  eigenen  Bruder  !  Wun- 
dere  ob  denn  das  Gesetz,  aber  miiessen  kein  Gesetz  /taben,  diese  Katholiken,  etc." 


CHAPTER   III. 

SEALSFIELD'S  INFLUENCE  UPON  AMERICAN  LITERATURE. 

This  investigation  owes  its  origin  to  the  frequent  allusions  by 
American  men  of  letters  to  '  a  certain  Gennan  writer  Sealsfield, 
who  borrowed  copiously  from  our  American  authors  and  gained 
great  fame  abroad  with  his  stolen  goods.'  It  is  the  aim  of  the 
present  considerations  to  render  the  opposite  statement  highly 
probable,  that  Sealsfield  never  borrowed; — a  fuller  investiga- 
tion may  be  able  to  establish  this  as  an  axiom.  His  historical 
novels  are  based  on  original  research ;  his  tales  of  the  present  time 
give  us  the  fruits  of  his  own  observation  and  personal  experience, 
beyond  which  the  author  had  no  desire  to  go.  His  fragmentary 
work  shows  that  he  has  suppressed  a  great  deal  that  he  could  have 
told.  A  stronger  basis  for  these  arguments  would  be  furnished 
by  a  comparison  of  each  of  Sealsfield's  works  of  fiction  with  their 
scattered  sources  in  his  biographical  notes,  etc.;  this  work  has 
for  the  most  part  been  done,  but  cannot  be  presented  within 
the  limits  of  this  dissertation.  Sealsfield  was  too  self-con- 
scious in  his  own  method  of  looking  upon  the  world  (Weltan- 
schauung), he  was  too  little  an  artist,  to  plagiarize.  Though 
the  belief  is  widespread  that  Sealsfield  owes  a  debt  to  American 
literature,  the  truth  is,  that  American  literature  is  indebted  to 
Sealsfield.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  for  many  years  he  pub- 
lished his  own  works  anonymously,  they  fell  an  easy  prey  to 
plagiarists.  In  a  letter  to  H.  Erhard  (J.  B.  Aletzler),  dated 
New  York,  April  25,  1854  (see  *  Hamburger/  p.  143),  Seals- 
field  expresses  his  opinion  of  the  American  publishers  of  that 
time :  "  Appletons  waren  uebrigens  bereits  zweimal  bei  mir, 
um  mir  Besuche  zu  machen,  ich  habe  die  Besuche  aus  dem 
Grunde  nicht  erwiedert,  um  die  Jankees  ein  Bischen  muerbe  zu 
machen.  Sie  lachen  ueber  diese  meine  Einfalt,  meine  pauvre 
diplomatic,  einen  buchhaendlerischen  Collegen  so  mir  nichts  dir 
nichts  mitzutheilen.  Wohl,  ich  sage  Ihnen,  dass  gegen  diese 
amerikanischen  Piraten  alles  verschwindet  was  Europa  an  Buch- 
haendlern  hat.  Sie  sind  die  durchtriebensten,  systematischsten 
Blutsauger  und  Peiniger  aller  Schriftsteller,  imd  solchen  Leuten 


44 

die  Daumenschraube  anzusetzen  wuerde  ich  fuer  eine  Gewissens- 
pflicht  halten."  The  following  instances  of  '  borrowing '  by  no 
means  exhaust  the  subject,  but  are  given  here  as  prominent  and 
characteristic  instances  of  plagiarism  from  Sealsfield  by  American 
authors. 

I. — Cajuetenbuch  . 

In  the  story  "Wild  Life,"  by  Capt.  Mayne  Reid,  published 
by  R.  M.  De  Witt,  New  York,  1856,— Chapters  XVIII  to  XXVII 
(the  end  of  the  book)  have  been  stolen  outright  from  Sealsfield's 
Cabin  Book,  Vol.  I,  Chap.  II— XI,  "  Die  Prairie  im  Jacinto,"  and 
Vol.  II,  Chap.  XIII  and  XIV  (in  part),  "  Der  Krieg."  This 
plagiarism  was  discovered  by  Mr.  Edward  Leyh,  editor  of  the 
'  Deutscher  Correspondent,'  Baltimore,  and  an  account  of  it  was 
published  in  the  'Washington  Sentinel,'  1887. 

It  has  never  been  noticed,  however,  that  Mayne  Reid  drew  not 
directly  from  Sealsfield  as  a  source  but  from  '  Blackwood's  Edin- 
burgh Magazine.'  As  the  '  Bibliography '  shows,  that  magazine 
published  in  its  December  number,  1843,  acknowledged  extracts 
from  Sealsfield's  German  works  (translated  probably  by  F.  Hard- 
man)  as  follows:  "Adventures  in  Texas,"  No.  i,  'The  Prairie  of 
Jacinto/  pp.  551—564;  do.  No.  2,  'A  Trial  by  Jury,'  pp.  778-799." 
In  January,  1844,  Advent,  in  Texas,  No.  3, '  The  Struggle,'  pp.  18- 
33."  These  selections  are  copied  word  for  word  by  Reid  and 
become  pp.  186—287  of  his  book.  Even  tlie  division  into  para- 
graphs has  been  left  unchanged.  He  arranges  the  material  in 
short  chapters,  and  only  in  two  cases  inserts  at  the  beginning  of 
a  new  chapter  a  sentence  of  his  own;  these,  as  being  very  charac- 
teristic, deserve  a  place  here: 

Chap.  XX,  p.  210  :  "  Reader,  did  you  ever  have  your  dearest  hopes  crushed 
at  one  fell  moment?  Were  your  fondest  aspirations  ever  blighted  at  one 
unlooked-for  disaster?  If  not,  you  can  but  feebly  imagine  my  feelings  in 
realizing  the  dreadful  fact  announced  at  the  close  of  the  last  chapter."  Chap. 
XXIII,  p.  236  :  "  Bob  having  taken  a  long  draught  of  water — a  beverage 
somewhat  new  to  his  palate — commenced  the  narration  of  his  own  crimes  as 
follows,  etc." 

The  story  ^"'Wild  Life,"  previous  to  p.  186,  is  a  harrowing  tale 
of  an  entirely  different  character  from  Sealsfield's,  and  the  two  in 
no  way  harmonize;  the  only  effort  made,  on  pp.  287—88,  to 
combine  the  two,  is  ridiculous.  The  reason  for  Mayne  Reid's 
discontinuation  of  the  story  at  that  point  was  simply  the  fact  that 
his  source  likewise  ended  there. 


45 

The  Cabin  Book  has  also  been  pirated  in  France  by  the  French 
writer  Xaver  de  Montepin,  in  his  "Adventures  de  William 
Whyte,"  which  is  merely  a  bad  translation  of  Sealsfield's  work. 

II. — Lebensbilder.  \ 

In  "  Guy  Rivers,"  by  William  Gilmore  Simms,  Chapter  Vll 
("  Code  and  Practice  of  the  Regulators "),  a  Yankee  peddler  i^ 
brought  to  trial  for  having  sold  *  spurious '  goods : 

"  Jared  Bunce,  is  that  your  name  ?  '  Why,  lawyer,  I  can't  deny  that  I've  gone 
by  that  name,  and  I  guess  it's  the  right  name  for  me  to  go  by,  seeing  that  I  was 
christened  Jared  after  old  Jared  Withers,  that  lives  down  at  Dedham  in  the 
State  of  Massachusetts  ;  he  did  promise  to  do  something  for  me,  seeing  I  was 
named  after  him,  but  he  hasn't  done  nothing  yet,  nohow.  Then  the  name  of 
Bunce,  you  see,  lawyer,  I  got  from  my  father,  his  name  being  Bunce,  too,  I  guess.' 
You  are  again  charged,  Bunce,  with  having  sold  to  Col.  Blundell  a  coffee-pot 
and  tin-cups,  all  of  which  went  to  pieces,  the  solder  melting  off  at  the  very 
sight  of  hot  water.  '  Well,  lawyer,  it  stands  to  reason  I  can't  answer  for  that. 
The  tinwares  I  sell  stand  well  enough  in  a  northern  climate  ;  there  may  be 
some  difference  in  yours  that  I  can't  account  for,  and  I  guess  pretty  much  there 
is.  Now  your  people  are  a  mighty  hot-tempered  people  and  take  a  fight  for 
breakfast  and  make  three  meals  a  day  out  of  it ;  now  we  in  the  North  have  no 
stomach  for  such  fare,  so  here  now  as  far  as  I  can  see  your  climate  takes 
pretty  much  after  the  people,  and  if  so,  it  is  no  wonder  that  solder  can't  stand  it. 
Who  knows  again  but  you  boil  your  water  quite  too  hot  ?  Now  I  guess  there's 
just  as  much  harm  in  boiling  water  too  hot  as  in  not  boiling  it  hot  enough, 
who  knows  ?  All  I  can  say  is  that  the  lot  of  wares  I  bring  to  this  market  next 
season  shall  be  calculated  on  purpose  to  suit  the  climate.'  " 

Compare  with  this  Sealsfield's  'Lebensbilder,'  Vol.  2,  Chap.  i. 
To  make  the  correspondence  more  apparent,  the  quotation  is  made 
from  a  translation  (Hebbe  and  Mackay,  N.  Y.,  1844,  p.  64  f.): 

'"The  teapots  !  '  roared  several  voices  from  below,  '  Hurrah  !  for  the  tea- 
pots of  Jared  Bundle  !  Look  here  !  the  teapots  of  Jared  Bundle  !  '  And  a 
procession  of  backwoodsmen,  six  persons  strong,  the  steward  in  their  midst, 
who  carried  the  coffee-pot,  which  the  rascally  Yankee  had  just  sold  for  water- 
proof to  the  Missourian,  came  laughing  and  cheering  up  the  stairs  by  the  light 
of  torches.  The  hot  water  leaked  freely  and  in  all  corners  and  directions  from 
the  pot.  For  a  moment  the  whole  crowd  stood  staring  and  gazing,  but  the 
Yankee  trick  soon  began  to  excite  the  risible  faculties  of  all.  '  Jared  Bundle  ! 
What  do  you  now  say  to  your  teapots  ?  Jared  Bundle's  teapots  !  a  cheer  for 
the  Yankee  teapots  !  '  The  man  had  not  lost  his  composure  in  the  least. 
Earnestly,  and  without  a  motion  in  his  features,  he  looked  at  the  pot  on 
all  sides,  all  around,  inside  and  outside,  shook  his  head,  and  finally  began  : 
*Ah,  gentlemen — or  rather  ladies  and  gentlemen  !  Who  would  refuse,  in  this 
happy   land — this    enlightened    country    of   freedom,  the    most    enlightened 


46 

country  of  the  world — to  receive  information  of  the  strange  occurrence,  which 
just  took  place  before  your  eyes?  Who  would  not  desire  this  explanation? 
I'll  give  it,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  this  explanation,  in  which  I  have  only  to 
regret  I  am  obliged  to  tell  you  that  there  are  gentlemen  who  sell  teapots,  and 
sell  them  for  the  South,  when  they  are  only  fit  for  the  North ;  and  again  sell 
teapots  for  the  North,  which  are  only  fit  for  the  South,  as  is  the  case  with 
these — which  came  from  the  store  of  the  very  respectable  Messieurs  Knock- 
down. These  teapots,  you  must  understand,  have  been  made  for  the  North, 
gentlemen,  there  is  no  doubt ;  for  you  know  that  many  teapots  could  stand  the 
cold  of  the  North  but  not  the  heat  of  the  South.  And  I  presume  the  cause  of 
it  is  that  the  gentlemen  of  the  South  are  a  very  hot-tempered  people,  who  eat 
their  gougings  for  breakfast,  just  as  we  eat  a  mackerel.  Now,  we  of  the  North 
have  not  so  hot  a  temper,  and  the  climate,  mark  me,  governs  men,  and  the  tea 
or  coffee-pots  made  for  the  North  cannot  possibly  stand  the  heat  of  the  South, 
I  also  wish  to  assert  that  your  boiling  water  is  too  hot,  and  this  Northern 
coffee  or  teapots  could  not  stand.'  '  Humbug  !  '  roared  twenty  backwoods- 
men, etc." 

The  similarity,  though  most  apparent  in  these  passages,  extends 
over  the  whole  of  the  chapters  in  question.  The  name  '  Jared 
Bunce '  in  Simms  corresponds  almost  exactly  with  'Jared  Bundle ' 
in  Sealsfield.  There  is  evidently  a  plagiarism  somewhere.  ]My 
attention  was  first  directed  to  the  works  of  Simms  by  a  note  in 
Griswold,  '  Prose  Writers  of  America/  4th  ed.,  p.  504 :  "  It  is  worth 
mentioning  that  the  German  author  ^alsfield  has  borrowed  ver\^ 
largely  from  his  (W.  G.  Simms')  works  and  tiiat  whole  pages  which 
he  has  translated  almost  literally  from  '  Guy  Rivers '  have  been 
praised  abroad  as  superior  to  anything  done  by  Americans  in 
describing  their  own  countr}\"  Wm.  P.  Trent,  in  his  book 
'  \\'^illiam  Gilmore  Simms,'  recently  published  by  Houghton, 
Mifflin  &  Co.,  Boston,  1892  (American  Men  of  Letters  Series, 
edited  by  Chas.  Dudley  Warner),  remarks,  p.  88:  "All  (Simms' 
border  romances)  are  successful  in  representing  striking  phases 
of  backwoods-life;  and  they  give  one  a  better  idea  of  that  curious 
stage  of  existence,  viewed  as  a  whole,  than  the  contemporary^ 
stories  of  Judge  James  Hall,  or  of  the  pseudonymous  Sealsfield 
(Carl  Postl).  Sealsfield,  indeed,  gives  the  humorous  side  of  the 
life  he  is  describing  better  than  Simms  does,  but  the  latter's  work 
is  less  sketchy  and  more  comprehensive."  (This  judgment  is  evi- 
dently not  based  upon  a  thorough  acquaintance  with  Sealsfield's 
works, — the  author  would  othenvise  be  obliged  to  acknowledge 
Sealsfield's  superiority  in  more  points,  indeed,  than  in  humor.) 
Trent,  p.  88,  note :  "  Sealsfield  is  said  to  have  copied  whole  pages 
from  Guv  Rivers  in  one  of  his  stories.     This  is  an  exaggeration. 


47 

Cf.  The  Courtship  of  Ralph  Doiig^hby,  Esq.,  Chap.  I,  with  Guy 
Rivers,  Chap.  VI."  The  truth  is  that  Sealsfield  borrowed  neither 
much  nor  Httle,  he  borrowed  nothing.  This  is  proved  by  the  fact 
that  Sealsfield's  book  appeared  earher  than  '  Guy  Rivers.'  '  Trans- 
atlantische  Reiseskizzen,'  2  vols.,  was  published  in  Zuerich  late  in 
1833,  and  contained  '  George  Howard's '  and  '  Ralph  Doughby's 
Courtship '  entire,  and  with  it  the  chapter  under  consideration. 
'  Guy  Rivers  '  appeared  in  the  following  year,  1834.  This  fact  has 
been  entirely  overlooked,  nor  has  any  one  ever  considered  the  pos- 
sibility that  Simms  might  have  committea  the  plagiarism.  It  is  not 
likely  that  Simms  read  the  German  work  as  published  in  Zuerich, 
although  there  is  evidence  that  he  often  read  translations  from 
German,  cf.  Trent,  p.  115,  A  translation  of  '  Transatlantische 
Reiseskizzen'  could  not  have  appeared,  hov^^ever,  between  1833 
and  1834.  But  there  is  Sealsfield's  own  statement  to  prove  that 
he  published  in  English  almost  the  whole  of  '  Transatlantische 
Reiseskizzen '  in  American  newspapers  during  1827—28,  long 
before  the  German  book  appeared ;  the  '  New  York  Mirror '  (see 
bibliography),  for  instance,  published  one  of  these  sketches,  'A 
Night  on  the  Banks  of  the  Tennessee,'  in  1829.  It  was  in  this  way 
that  Simms  had  access  to  the  chapter,  which,  being  one  of  the  most 
characteristic,  was  undoubtedly  among  those  published  in  Eng- 
lish. The  statement  appears  in  Sealsfield's  autobiographical 
sketch  sent  to  Heinrich  Brockhaus  for  the  tenth  edition  of  his 
^  Conversationslexikon  ' :  "Die  '  Transatlantischen  Reiseskizzen,' 
die  nach  einem  neuen  Plane  verfasst,  als  ein  Versuch  herausge- 
geben  wurden,  der  bereits  in  den  Vereinigten  Staaten  angestellt, 
da  nicht  gelungen,  in  Deutschland  zu  gelingen  versprach."  "  Er 
hatte  dieses  Buch  wie  gesagt  in  den  Vereinigten  Staaten  bereits 
1827  angefangen,  im  Jahre  1828  vollendet,  einige  Skizzen  ver- 
oeffentlicht,  sie  batten  aber  nicht  besondern  Anklang  gefunden. 
So  war  er  audi  zweifelhaft  geworden,  war  es  selbst  noch  als  die 
ersten  zwei  Baendchen  '  Transatlantische  Reiseskizzen '  betitelt, 
eine  sehr  guenstige  Aufnahme  gefunden  batten.  Diese  Zweifel 
bewogen  ihn,  einige  Zeit  zuzuwarten,  das  Publikum  gleichsam  an' 
diese  neue  Art  Roman  zu  gewoehnen." 

To  complete  the  chain  of  proof,  Sealsfield's  English  sketch  must 
yet  be  found  in  a  contemporary  American  newspaper;  the  evidence 
thus  far  brought  forward,  however,  is  sufficient  to  disclose  a 
plagiarism  by  Simms. 


48 

III. — TOKEAH, 

Or  the  'White  Rose,'  Philadelphia,  1828  (republished  in  Ger- 
man under  the  title  '  Der  Legitime  und  die  Republikaner,' 
Zuerich,  1833),  though  never  a  popular  novel  in  America,  seems 
to  have  been  a  book  for  authors.  I  have  discovered  certain  sim.i- 
larities  in  the  plots  of  some  American  Indian  stories  which,  though 
by  no  means  plagiarisms,  point  towards  an  influence  of  Sealsfield's 
pioneer  work,  '  Tokeah.' 

a.  The  historical  novel  "  Ramona,"  by  Mrs.  Helen  Jackson 
(Roberts  Bros.,  Boston,  1884).  'Tokeah'  has  been  called  'the 
Tragedy  of  the  Indian  Race,  east  of  the  Mississippi '  (Gottschall) ; 
similarly  '  Ramona '  represents  '  the  Decline  of  the  Red  ]\Ian  be- 
yond the  Mississippi.'  Both  Tokeah  and  Alessandro,  the  last  of 
a  noble  race,  are  by  slow  but  inevitable  stages  driven  to  despair 
and  death  by  the  incursions  of  the  white  race.  The  aged  father 
of  Alessandro  speaks  prophetically,  like  the  wise  chieftain  Tokeah. 
If '  Ramona '  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  sequel  to  *  Tokeah,'  it  would 
seem  as  though  the  young  and  valiant  El  Sol, — the  last  promising 
hope  of  his  race,  who  founded  a  new  kingdom  for  the  red  man  in 
the  West, — had  reappeared  many  ages  after  as  Alessandro,  only  lo 
meet  the  same  fate  as  Tokeah  in  the  past.  The  historical  setting 
naturallv  differs.  Ramona,  the  heroine,  seems  to  combine  charact- 
eristics of  Canondah  and  of  the  White  Rose.  Ramona's  life  of 
self-sacrifice  in  the  Indian  village  presents  a  striking  analogy  to 
Canondah,  the  model  of  Indian  womanhood,  who  with  her 
numerous  arts  of  cooker}^  and  household  usefulness  is  a  goddess 
to  the  Indian  warriors  of  her  tribe. 

b.  The  poem  "  The  Vigil  of  Faith,"  A  Legend  of  the  Adi- 
rondack Mts.,  by  Chas.  Fenno  Hoffman,  New  York,  1842.  An 
Indian  lover  is  about  to  be  united  with  his  betrothed,  when  an 
unsuccessful  rival,  burning  with  rage  and  envy,  slays  the  girl,  who 
has  been  deaf  to  his  entreaties.  The  assassin  hopes  to  be  rewarded 
with  death,  by  which  means  he  desires  to  make  the  long  pilgrimage 
in  company  with  the  soul  of  the  dead  Indian  girl.  But  the  bride- 
groom penetrates  his  scheme  at  the  critical  moment,  and  punishes 
him  with  life  and  life-long  bondage.  A  similar  code  of  ethics 
operates  in  a  chapter  of  'Tokeah.'  Lafitte,  the  pirate  and  unsuc- 
cessful rival,  surprises  the  Indian  camp,  where  El  Sol  is  celebrating 
his  nuptials;  Canondah  is  shot  while  she  is  being  borne  away  in 
the  arms  of  El  Sol.     The  pirate  is  captured,  but  is  allowed  to 


49 


depart  with  his  life.     His  soul  is  deemed  too  base  to  wander  with 
the  soul  of  Canondah. 

The  results  thus  far  obtained  give  promise  that  a  more  compre- 
hensive study  would  reveal  a  greater  influence  of  Charles  Seals- 
field  upon  American  literature  than  these  few  pages  have  been 
able  to  disclose. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Cyclopaedias  and  books  of  general  reference  are  not  cited,  unless  containing 
articles  of  special  value. 

Agramer  Zeitung.     "Charles  Sealsfield."     No.  172,  1864. 

AUgemeine  Zeitung.  Augsburg-Cotta,  1864.  Beilage  zu  No.  189  u.  zu 
No.  365. 

AUibone.     Dictionary  of  Authors,  Vol,  II,  p.  1984. 

American  Annual  Cyclopaedia,  1864,  p.  745. 

Appletons  Cyclopaedia  of  American  Biography.     "Charles  Sealsfield." 

Beobachter.  The  organ  of  Metternich,  1848.  Auszuege  aus  Mexico  im 
Jahre  1812. 

Blackwood's  Edinburgh  Magazine.  Selections  from  Sealsfield's  works, 
published  anonymously  as  follows  :  Vol.  LIV,  1843,  "  The  Prairie  and  the 
Swamp ;  an  Adventure  in  Louisiana,"  p.  34-50.  "A  Sketch  in  the  Tropics," 
p.  362-372.  "Adventures  in  Louisiana;  The  Blockhouse,"  p.  234-243.  ''Ad- 
ventures  in  Texas,  No.  i  :  Prairie  of  St.  Jacinto,"  p.  551-564.  "Adventures 
in  Texas,  No.  2  :  A  Trial  by  Jury,"  p.  779-799.  Vol.  LV,  1844,  "Adventures 
in  Texas,  No.  3  :  The  Struggle,"  p.  18-33.  "  Two  Nights  in  Southern 
Mexico,"  p.  449-462.  Vol.  LVI,  "My  First  Love;  a  Sketch  in  New  York," 
p.  69  f.  "The  Stolen  Child;  a  True  Tale  of  the  Backwoods,"  p.  227  f.  "A 
Night  on  the  Banks  of  the  Tennessee,"  p.  278  f.  "  My  Last  Courtship  ;  a  Voy- 
age on  the  Red  River,"  p.  507  f.  Vol.  LVII,  1845,  "  German-American 
Romance  ;  a  Short  Biography  of  Sealsfield,"  p.  251-268.  "Mexico  in  iSi2," 
Part  I,  p.  251  f.  ;  Part  II,  331  f.  ;  Part  III,  561  f. 

Bohemia,  Jan.  14,  1865.     Beibl.  zu  No.  12.     Prag. 

Bornmueller.     Biographisches  Schriftstellerlexikon.     Leipzig,  1882. 

Bremer  Sonntagsblatt.     F.  Pletzer,  1864,  No.  24. 

Brockhaus,  F.  A.  Conversationslexikon,  lote  Auflage.  Sealsfield:  Selbst- 
biographie,  1850  geschickt.  Do.  Blaetter  fuer  Literarische  Unterhaltung, 
1834;  1865,  p.  109;  1867,  p.  125. 

Daheim.    Velhagen  u.  Klasing.  .  ister  Jahrg.  1865,  p.  295  f. 

Deutsche  Zeitung.  Wien,  1872.  Feu.  "  Die  Grabesschuld."  Alfred  Meiss- 
ner.     No.  174-180. 

Didaskalia.     Frankfurt  a.  M.,  1864.     Nos.  278,  279. 

Englishman,  The,  Monthly  Review,  1830,  1831,  1832. 

Foreign  Quarterly,  1846,  Vol.  37,  p.  416.     "Writings  of  Chas.  Sealsfield." 

Fremden  Blatt.  Gustav  Heine,  Wien,  1864.  Nos.  82,86,  96,  150;  1865, 
No.  I. 

Gartenlaube.     Leipzig,  Ernst  Keim,  1864,  p.  53,  1865,  p.  94. 

Glocke,  Die.     Wien,  1864,  No.  425,  Feu.  "  Der  Grosse  Unbekannte." 


51 

Gottschall.  Portraits  u.  Studien.  Leipzig,  1850-71,  Brockhaus.  Reprint: 
"  Unsere  Zeit,"  1S65,  '  Chas.  Sealsfield,  ein  literarisches  Portrait.' 

Die    Deutsche    Nationalliteratur  des  Neunzehnten  Jahrhunderts,  p. 

411-424:   "  Der  Exotische  Roman," 

Grenzboten,  Die.     M.  Busch,  Leipzig,  1864,  No.  124. 

Griswold.     Prose  Writers  of  America.     4th  ed.,  p.  504.     "  W.  G.  Simms." 

Hamburger.     SealsfieldmPostl.     Bisher  Unveroeffentliche  Briefe,  etc. 

Hardmann,  F.,  editor  of  "Scenes  and  Adventures  in  Central  America," 
Wm.  Blackwood  &  Sons,  1852.  Extracts  from  Sealsfield's  works  as  follows  : 
"Adventures  in  Louisiana  :  I,  Cypress  Swamp ;  II,  Bloody  Blockhouse." 
"Adventures  in  Texas:  I,  Scamper  in  the  Prairie;  II,  Lynch  Law;  III, 
Twenty  to  One."  "Two  Nights  in  South  Mexico."  "A  Sketch  in  the  Tropics  : 
I,  The  Fugitive  ;  II,  The  Blockade."  "  Frontier  Life ;  or,  Scenes  and 
Adventures  in  the  Southwest."     Auburn,  Derby  &  Miller,  1853. 

Honegger,  Grundsteine  einer  AUgemeinen  Culturgeschichte.  Leipzig, 
1871,  Vol.  4,  p.  244. 

Illustrierte  Zeitung.     Leipzig,  J.  J.  Weber,  1864,  No.  1099.     Rochholtz. 

Kertbeny.     Erinnerungen  an  Chas.  Sealsfield.     Bruessel  u.  Leipzig,  1864. 

Silhouetten  und  Reliquien.     Prag,  1863,  Bd.  II,  p.  1 10-135. 

Krakauer  Zeitung,  1864,  Nos.  21,  22. 

Kurz,  H.  Geschichte  der  Neuesten  Deutschen  Literatur  von  1830  bis  auf 
die  Gegenwart,  Bd.  4,  p.  114-119. 

Leipziger  Abendpost,  1865,  No.  95. 

Literar.  Beilage  z.  Verzeichniss  zur  Geschichte  Boehmens,  1864. 

London  Reader,  1864,  II,  13,  76. 

London  Times,  June  9,  1864. 

Magazin  f.  d.  Literatur  des  Auslandes.  Lehmann,  Leipzig,  1864,  p.  430  ; 
1865,  p.  27. 

Maehrischer  Correspondent,  1S64,  Nos.  161,  168,  200. 

Meyer.     Conversationslexikon,  1890. 

Mirror,  The,  New  York.  "A  Night  on  the  Banks  of  the  Tennessee,"  Oct. 
31,  1829;  Nov.  7,  1829. 

Nationale  Zeitung,  Berlin,  1S64,  No.  493.      Feu.  Frenzel  ? 

Neue  Freie  Presse,  Wien,  1865,  No.  127,  Alf.  Meissner;  1865,  No.  134, 
"  Geburtsort";  1S75,  No.  3864,  "In  Memoriam  ";  No.  3985,  Zum  Andenken 
an  Sealsfield. 

Neue  Illustrirte  Zeitung,  Wien,  1875.  No.  42,  pp.  1,15. 

Nord  Boehmischer  Gebirgsbote,  1865,  Beilage  z.  No.  35. 

Nuernberger  Correspondent,  1S64,  No.  287,  Feu. 

Ostdeutsche  Post,  Wien,  No.  266,  Feu.  1864. 

Pilsener  Bote,  1864,  No.  54,  "Der  grosse  Unbekannte." 

Prager  Morgenpost,  1864,  No.  168,  Feu. 

Presse,  Die,  Wien,  1864.  No.  164,  Feu. 

Revue  des  Deux  Mondes,  April,  1835,  2,  pp.  121-125.  August,  184S,  pp. 
461-500. 

Sabin,  Joseph.  A  Dictioiiary  of  Books  relating  to  America  from  its  Dis- 
covery to  the  Present  Time.     Vol.  15,  No.  64533-64561,  "Carl  Postl." 


52 

Scherr,  J.     Allgemeine  Geschichte  der  Literatur,  Bd.  II,  p.  302. 

Schlesische  Zeitung,  Breslau,  1S64,  No.  445,  Feu. 

Schmidt,  Julian.     Literaturgeschichte.     Berlin,  1S64  (?). 

Sealsfield.     See  below. 

Smolle,  Dr.  Leo.  "Charles  Sealsfield:  Biograph.-Literarisches  Charakter- 
bild."     Wien,i875. 

Sonntagspost,  Leipzig,  1857,  No.  8,  p.  269,  "  Erinnerungen  an  S."  J.  Scherr. 

Stora,  Dr.  Anton.  "  Verhaeltniss  z.  Frage  des  Fortschrittes."  Znaim, 
1870. 

Tales  from  Blackwood.  1st  Series,  vol.  Ill,  Chas.  S.  Reprint  from  Black- 
wood's Edinburgh  Mag.,  1843,  1844,  1845. 

Truebner.     Bibliographical  Guide  to  American  Literature,  1859,  p.  452. 

Tuckerman.     America  and  her  Commentators,  p.  310-31 1. 

Unsere  Zeit.  Neue  Folge,  I,  1865,  p.  241-266.  "  Ein  Literarisches  Por- 
trait."    R.  Gottschall.     Leipzig,  Brockhaus. 

Vilmar.     Deutsche  Literaturgeschichte.     Leipzig,  1879. 

Volks  und  Wirthschaftskalender,  1866.     Attack  on  Sealsfield. 

Waldheim  lUustrirte  Blaetter,  Wien,  1864,  No.  3!.,  p.  292. 

Weser  Zeitung,  1864,  No.  6396  f. ;  1861,  No.  6390. 

Wiener  Morgenpost.  Scheibe  :  "  Der  Kreuzherr  von  Poeltenberg."  Seals- 
field  im  Roman. 

Wiener  Zeitung,  1864,  No.  139,  p.  74  f. 

Wurzbach.  Biographisches  Lexikon  des  Kaiserthums  Oesterreich. 
XXXIII,  p.  228-240. 

Zeitung  fuer  Norddeutschland,  1864,  No.  4799  f.,  No.  469S,  No.  4732. 

Znaimer  Wochenblatt.     Nachdruck  :  "  Der  Kreuzherr,  etc." 

Charles  Sealsfield.     [His  works  are  arranged  in  chronological  order.] 

1827.  Die  Vereinigten  Staaten  von  Nordamerika  nach  ihrem  politischen, 
religiosen  und  gesellschaftlichen  Verhaeltnisse  betrachtet,  von  C.  Sidons. 
2  vols.,  J.  G.  Cotta,  Stuttgart  u.  Tuebingen. 

1828.  The  United  States  of  North  America,  as  they  are.  London,  John 
Murray. 

1828.  The  Americans  as  they  are,  described  in  a  Tour  through  the  Valley  of 
the  Mississippi,  by  the  author  of  "Austria  As  It  Is."  London,  Hurst,  Chance 
&  Co. 

1828.  Austria  As  It  Is,  or  Sketches  of  Continental  Courts  by  an  Eye-witness. 
London,  Hurst,  Chance  &  Co.,  1828. 

1828.  Tokeah,  or  the  White  Rose;  an  Indian  Tale.  Philadelphia,  Carey, 
Lea  &  Carey.     2  vols.     2d  ed.,  1845. 

1833.  Der  Legitime  und  die  Republikaner,  eine  Geschichte  aus  dem  letzten 
Amerikanisch-Englischen  Kriege.  3  vols.  Zuerich,  Orell,  Fuessli  u.  Cie.  2d 
ed.,  1844. 

1833.  Transatlantische  Reiseskizzen  und  Christophorus  Baerenhaeuter, 
vom  Verfasser  des  Legitimen.    Zuerich,  1833-37.    6  vols.   Orell,  Fuessli  u.  Cie. 

1S34.  George  Howard's  Brautfahrt  u.  Christ.  Baerenhaeuter.  Bd.  i  u.  2, 
Lebensbilder  (see  below). 


53 

1S36.   Pflanzerleben  und  die  Farl^igen.     Bd.  3  u.  4,  Lebensbilder. 
1837.  Nathan,  der  Squatter  Regulator,  oder  der  erste  Amerikaner  in  Texas. 
Bd.  5,  Lebensbilder. 

1834.  Der  Virey  und  die  Aristokraten,  oder  Mexiko  im  Jahre  1812,  vom 
Verfasser  des  Legitimen.     Zuerich,  3  vols, 

1835.  Morton,  oder  die  Grosse  Tour,  vom  Verfasser  des  Legitimen.  Zuerich, 
Orell,  etc. 

1S35.  Lebensbilder  aus  beiden  Hemisphaeren.  Transatlantische  Reise- 
skizzen  (revised  title). 

1839.  Die  Deutsch-Amerikanischen  Wahlverwandtschaften,  vom  Verfasser 
des  Virey,  etc.  Zuerich,  Schulthess.  4  Bde.  Auch  "Neue  Land- und  bee- 
bilder." 

1841.  Das  Cajuetenbuch  oder  Nationale  Charakteristiken,  vom  Verf.  des 
Legitimen,  etc.     Schulthess.     2  Bde. 

1842-1843.  Sueden  und  Norden,  vom  Verfasser  des  Virey.  Stuttgart,  J.  B. 
Metzler.     3  Bde. 

1S43-1846.  Gesammelte  Werke  von  Charles  Sealsfield.  Stuttgart,  J.  B. 
Metzler.  18  Bde.,  8°.  I-IIL  Der  Legitime  u.  die  Republikaner.  IV-VL  Der 
Virey  u.  die  Aristokraten.  VII-VIII.  Morton.  IX-XIH.  Lebensbilder  aus 
derWestlichen  Hemisphaere.  XIV-XV,  Cajuetenbuch.  XVI-XVIIL  Sueden 
u.  Norden. 

1845-1847.  Gesammelte  Werke  von  Charles  Sealsfield.  Stuttgart,  Metzler. 
15  Bde.,  i2mo.     (Sueden  u.  Norden  omitted.) 

1S73.  l^is  Grabesschuld,  eine  nachgelassene  Novelle  von  Charles  Sealsfield. 
Leipzig,  Gunther.     Edited  with  biographical  sketch  by  Alfred  Meissner. 

Unpublished  Works  of  Sealsfield:  Memoiren  (Arenenberg) ;  Ein  Mann 
aus  dem  Volke  (autobiography);  Ost  und  West  (Gegenstueck  zu  Sueden  und 
Norden).     These  works  were  destroyed  by  the  author  before  his  death. 

Translations  of  Sealsfield's  Works  : 

The  Cabin  Book.     Transl.  by  Mersch.    New  York,  J.  Winchester,  1844. 

The  Cabin  Book.  London  edition.  Scenes  and  Sketches  of  the  late 
American  and  Mexican  War.     1853. 

The  Cabin  Book.  Transl.  by  Sarah  Powell.  New  York,  1852;  ditto, 
1871. 

Adventures  in  Texas.  Abridged  from  German  of  Sealsfield,  by  F.  Hard- 
mann.     Edinburgh,  i860. 

Life  in  Texas.  By  Sealsfield.  3  parts.  Transl.  by  Mersch.  Philadelphia, 
Colon  &  Adriancc.  1S45., 

Life  in  the  New  World,  or  Sketches  of  American  Society.  Transl.  by 
Hebbe  and  Mackay.  New  York,  J.  Winchester,  New  World  Press,  7  Nos,,  5 
Parts. 

North  and  South,  or  Scenes  and  Adventures  in  Mexico.  By  Sealsfield, 
Transl,  from  German  by  J.  T.  H.  2  vols.  New  York,  Winchester,  New- 
World  Press,  1844. 

Les  Emigres  Francais  dans  la  Louisiane,  1S00-1804.  Pans,  L.  ITachette 
et  Cie.,  1853. 


VITA. 

I  was  born  in  Baltimore,  April  20,  1870,  the  son  of  John 
Faust,  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany.  I  was  first  in- 
structed for  seven  years  at  the  Zions-Schule  in  Baltimore. 
After  this  I  visited  several  schools  in  this  city  and  matriculated 
as  an  undergraduate  student  at  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  in 
October,  1886.  In  June,  1889,  I  received  the  degree  of  B.  A., 
and  for  the  past  three  years  attended  advanced  courses  in  Ger- 
man, English  and  History.  In  1890-91  I  held  an  Honorary 
Hopkins  Scholarship,  and  was  appointed  Fellow  in  German  for 
the  following  year,  1891-92. 

To  Dr.  Bright,  Dr.  Adams  and  Dr.  Learned  I  wish  to  acknowl- 
edge the  deepest  feelings  of  gratitude  for  the  kind  aid  and 
instruction  I  received  in  their  respective  departments  of  work. 

To  Dr.  Wood  I  cannot  adequately  express  the  measure  of  my 
indebtedness  for  the  sincere  personal  interest  he  has  ever  shown 
toward  me,  and  for  the  stimulus  to  literary  studies  that  his 
encouragement  and  example  have  given.  He  has  also  intro- 
duced me  into  a  field  of  work  which  offers  rare  opportunities 
for  original  research. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OP  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  50  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.00  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


■,V.V    14  1035 


i^ 


"^ 


rEC-D  UU 


4UL 


^    1963 


jUN  1 2  mf>  "iJi 


:""':.  m. :B-^ — ^■ 


d^      WAV  ?  3  78 


LD  21-100m-8,'34 


4mMiMmmm 


